COMBI or CONDENSING BOILER

KK21_2

My husband phoned on Friday

EAGA say the matter is still with the contractor

The office staff of the contracting firm say their surveyor hasn't updated the computer yet, so they don't know either what's happening

marks out of 10 for Warmfront 1, sorry zero

BARGAINHUNTER!

Well, I had Warmfront round as I was entitled to a grant due to low income. Unfortunately, due to the type of house I live in I could not have wall or roof insillation. The Warmfront man said that he would get a contractor round to look at my boiler and left me 2 energy saving lightbulbs. The contractor came last month, and recommended that my combi boiler be replaced with a new Ideal condensing one, valves be placed on all my rads, a rad be installed in my dining room (currently no heating in there) and that the central heating system be continued to include the top floor of my house, meaning pipework to be run up the stairs and a rad installed (currently no heating on top floor of my house - I live in victorian 3 story 4 bed terrace).

Anyway, quote came today. Im entitled to £2700 grant. Bill for work comes to £3094.25 - difference of £441.18 which needs to be paid to contractor before they start work. Warmfront recon they have already given me a grant of £44.13. I phoned to query, and was told the £44.13 was for the 2 lightbulbs which were left and for the price the contractor had charged Warmfront to quote! So I effectively have to pay £44.13 for someone to give me a quote as this cost has been knocked off the grant given to me! Unbelievable! And I thought that the lightbulbs that the Warmfront guy was giving me were free! He never said they would cost anything, anyway, they only cost 97p each in supermarkets!!

So now I have a choice - either find £441.18 from somewhere so I can have the work done or if I can't I will have to be cold again this winter! Does anyone know if there is any help available for the extra I have to find? I applied for a grant because I was on a low income - how on earth can they expect me to suddenly find £441.18??

Bruce_

BARGAINHUNTER! wrote: »

Bill for work comes to £3094.25

Go back to the contractor and tell him "if you want the work, you can have the job for £XXXX". Work out what you can afford, and make an offer. You probably won't get a £400 discount, but £200 isn't too much to ask.

I'm always surprised by the unwillingness to ask for a discount. You can save more by asking for discounts than you probably would from energy savings. A massive generalisation of course. But it doesn't hurt to ask for a discount.

And in this instance, if there's no discount, why not just get £400 less work done. Better that than nothing, surely.

Another idea is to get a quote from another contractor. Tell them that you have £xxxx budget, and that another contractor was close to this amount already. People need work, and will work hard to get it. Don't just give up. Also, if you don't mention the grant, you might find it's only £2000. I'm sure most properties are magically around £3000, when they know it's for warmfront.

If warmfront were any good, they would manage this for you, and tell the contractor "do it for £xxxx or we'll get someone who will".

Cardew

BARGAINHUNTER! wrote: »

Anyway, quote came today. Im entitled to £2700 grant. Bill for work comes to £3094.25 - difference of £441.18 which needs to be paid to contractor before they start work. Warmfront recon they have already given me a grant of £44.13. I phoned to query, and was told the £44.13 was for the 2 lightbulbs which were left and for the price the contractor had charged Warmfront to quote! So I effectively have to pay £44.13 for someone to give me a quote as this cost has been knocked off the grant given to me! Unbelievable! And I thought that the lightbulbs that the Warmfront guy was giving me were free! He never said they would cost anything, anyway, they only cost 97p each in supermarkets!!

So now I have a choice - either find £441.18 from somewhere so I can have the work done or if I can't I will have to be cold again this winter! Does anyone know if there is any help available for the extra I have to find? I applied for a grant because I was on a low income - how on earth can they expect me to suddenly find £441.18??

They actually expect you to pay £441.18p for a CH system costing over £3000?

Can you understand why some people might think your complaint, posted using the internet, astonishing?