NPower v British Gas combi boilers

nicholasbarter

I've just had a quote from NPower and British Gas to replace my standard boiler and fit a new combi boiler.

NPower quoted £3050 (after a discount of 379.20) whilst British gas quoted £4049.42 (after a discount of £300).

The only main differences I could tell was that BG would fit thermostatic radiator values to 6 radiators with a bypass on the 7th, whilst NP doesn't (advised me to buy and fit them myself). NP include 5 years worth of servicing free, BP 1 year.

NP are offering a Valliant ecotec pro 24 boiler and BP are offering a Glowworm flexicom 30cx boiler. (BP quoted the boiler at £1326.42 ex VAT).
Is the price difference mainly due to BG overcharging on the boiler (which can be found for £565 ex VAT)?

What does everyone think? Is there anything else I should know/think about?

Magentasue

Have you considered finding a good local Corgi registered (or whatever the new equivalent is) heating engineer or plumber. We paid £4000 for a complete new installation.

1carminestocky

Has your existing boiler given up the ghost?

nicholasbarter

Our old boiler is fine if not a little bit old.

The quote is for £3050 for a complete installation

Magentasue

Ah but ours was £4000 for new intallation - boiler, radiators, pipework etc

KimYeovil

nicholasbarter wrote: »

Our old boiler is fine if not a little bit old.

So why do you want to replace it?

1carminestocky

nicholasbarter wrote: »

Our old boiler is fine if not a little bit old.

The quote is for £3050 for a complete installation

Have you actually done the sums on this? Length of time it will need to pay for itself? :eek: At a saving of £200 per year (unlikely but we'll go with it for illustrative purposes) it will be 15 years before you get your outlay back. If the boiler actually lasts that long, of course. This is a money saving site so expect this sort of reasoning. If the existing boiler had died then fine but, to me, this is spending 3 grand when you really don't need to...

nicholasbarter

Several reasons:
*The boiler is about 20 years old.
*The hot water tank takes up storage space in a wardrobe
*The water tank takes up space in the the loft
*Combi boilers are more efficient and will save on gas bills
*The boiler heats up hot water and the central heating together not separately (so our heating is on all year around)
*The shower hasn't got enough pressure to have a decent shower, so the combi will correct that.

Want any more reasons?

Anyway, back ot the original question. Why is British Gas so much more than NPower

1carminestocky

nicholasbarter wrote: »

Several reasons:
1)*The boiler is about 20 years old.
2) *The hot water tank takes up storage space in a wardrobe
3) *The water tank takes up space in the the loft
4) *Combi boilers are more efficient and will save on gas bills
5) *The boiler heats up hot water and the central heating together not separately (so our heating is on all year around)
6) *The shower hasn't got enough pressure to have a decent shower, so the combi will correct that.

7) Want any more reasons?

Anyway, back ot the original question. Why is British Gas so much more than NPower

1) My wife's 49 but I have no plans on replacing her with a new model at great expense

2) Is that really a reason to spend 3 grand?

3) What do you plan to do up there with the space when it's gone?

4) Yes, and they cost approx £3,000 to supply and install, an outlay you very probably won't recoup during its effective lifetime.

5) So does ours, we just turn the radiators off.

6) How much is a power shower?

7) Up to you.

Pssst

nicholasbarter wrote: »

Several reasons:
*The boiler is about 20 years old.
*The hot water tank takes up storage space in a wardrobe
*The water tank takes up space in the the loft
*Combi boilers are more efficient and will save on gas bills
*The boiler heats up hot water and the central heating together not separately (so our heating is on all year around)
*The shower hasn't got enough pressure to have a decent shower, so the combi will correct that.

Want any more reasons?

Anyway, back ot the original question. Why is British Gas so much more than NPower

Simply becuase they have a good ,recognised market brand and people feel safe and secure with them.

I'm not saying they dont have their faults. No ones perfect,but dont assume that CORGI/Captia reg means qualified and that its some kind of guarantee of a quality/safe installtion.

In the end ,the only thing that matters is good training,experience and pride in a good job.

Personal or industry recommendations are worth their weight in gold.

For example,in my area i could say to people well ,go give x,y or z a try becuase I know they are good people.


With regard to a combi's etc

My chb is more like 25 years old and i have a lagged "Fortic" in my airing cupboard (combined hot water and cold feed tank).

Crime oh crime...its also open flued !!


I'm not changing it just yet.

Why?

Its simple technology, its bomb proof,its currently rated at a very frugal 38,000Btu/hr,it provides all the CH and HW needs here and best of all,i have a tankfull of HW quickly and whenever i want it. No waiting and wastefull run off of a precious world resource for me (water).

My home is efficient in that losses are minimised with insulation in roof and walls, quality DG etc.

I wonder what make /model of CHB you have?

Just noted something,,you say your CH and HW are always on together??

Are you saying that you cant have CH only or that you cant have HW only?

Is this by fault or design?

If by design and you cant have CH only,this could possibly be economically corrected.

As for Npwoers fit your own TRV suggestion !!!!!! ? they have it drained down,they may as well do it then..!

hansi

Reading all of the above, my boiler is 24 years old, and I have just posted on a new thread about the horrendous cost to replace it with BG. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!