Warm Front Grant saved me a fortune!

Elhall_2

margaretclare wrote:

what it says is: 'I understand that if the cost of the recommended work is higher than the maximum grant that is available, I will have to pay the difference. You will not go ahead with the work without first getting my agreement.'

Badly worded I see :rolleyes: ... Eaga tell the installers not to proceed to go ahead with the job without getting the money first. Eaga have to order the parts and recieve in writing that the installers have been paid.

As for the other case, as you say the shut down period is coming up. At our place we would install over the Xmas period, but found that most didn't want to be bothered over Xmas. We would shut down the Friday (or Xmas Eve) and open the 2nd of Jan, so about 1 week, not 2. Saying that we still had staff on in the office and call out engineers.

From the time the money clears in the installers bank they should inform Eaga that they have been paid. Eaga then order the parts, that usually takes between 3-15 working days. There's nothing the installers can really do about this, but you can try pushing them. Then it's just a case of being booked in for the install. Again, usually about 2 weeks after confirmation that the parts are in. (No point booking in until you know you have the parts). These are worse case estimates working by our old timescales, other installers my be different.

Advice: phone 1-3 times a week asking for an update and an installation date. Phone WF, not the installer.

margaretclare

Thanks for the clarification, Elhall. As you say, badly worded!

This was from Nova86:

We paid the excess over a month ago and have since been told that the parts have arrived two weeks ago but the installers do not have anyone available to do the work. We asked about changing installers but were told the whole process would start again and any new installer would probably not be any cheaper.

Nova86, I agree - no point at all in going back to square one! So it's the unavailability of an installer to actually do the work which is the problem. Parts arrived 2 weeks ago, money paid as requested, but Mum still hasn't got the 'installation appointment'. Well, there's time yet - get on the phone AGAIN! If that was me I'd be on the phone to WF on a daily basis.

Hope you get it sorted.

Margaret

Elhall_2

margaretclare wrote:

get on the phone AGAIN! If that was me I'd be on the phone to WF on a daily basis.

Agreed. Sometimes this is what it takes, sad but true.

Remember that the WF number is free

penniesmakepounds_2

Thanks to this thread I applied for a WF granty for my parents on Sunday, got a phone call from the assessor on Tues, to say he was coming the next day to do an assessment.

He did an assessment and said they are entitled to a new boiler. THANKS!!!!

margaretclare

penniesmakepounds wrote:

Thanks to this thread I applied for a WF granty for my parents on Sunday, got a phone call from the assessor on Tues, to say he was coming the next day to do an assessment.

He did an assessment and said they are entitled to a new boiler. THANKS!!!!

Hi penniesmakepounds

When your parents' new boiler is installed and working they are likely to find 1/3rd saving on gas costs compared with their existing system. Therefore, if they're on Staywarm like so many older people seem to be, they may find that another supplier is more competitive, because Staywarm don't take lower consumption into account, they just look at number of bedrooms/number of occupants.

HTH

Margaret

margaretclare

Another update on our saga from last week:

We didn't get the schedule of work that DH wanted. In response to our request we got a letter from WarmFront with a list of parts, and an explanation that 'they could not give us details of prices'. It wasn't the prices we were concerned about, given that they're paying, the whole thing comes within the total grant of £2,700.

What DH is used to having is not just a list of parts, make of boiler etc but something like 'Supply and fit one boiler, make xxx, install in roof-space as agreed with customer' and that, it would appear, is the kind of thing that we can't have. We can't have it stated clearly in writing exactly where this boiler is to go, that the existing boiler will be isolated but not removed, that the gas-fire in front will be left in working order, that all will be left tidy etc etc'.

He's having to compromise. I have pointed out to him that this is a bit different from the kind of contract he's used to, which would be between the supplier/installer and the customer, the customer has a written copy of what's going to be done beforehand, and the customer has some kind of redress if the contract isn't kept to. In this case the contract is not between installer and customer but between installer and WarmFront, and the customer, because we're being given something for free, is not given the full picture.

Nevertheless DH is fairly happy because most of his concerns were ironed out on the phone with the installer last week (as described above). He concedes that he's being a little bit pedantic. I acknowledge that he's being super-cautious, and given some of the disasters I walked into in an earlier existence (oh that Pennine cottage!!!) I'm glad he's around.

Nothing will happen this week - we go off on Friday, back late next week, the installer will phone us early in the New Year and hopefully it will be all hunky-dory.

Margaret

crinkly2

I have just been on to Warm front as my boiler is nearly 20 years old and after a corgi engineer checked it yesterday, because I have a slight gas leak he said it was its age and it is wearing out. The Warm front team tell me also that they can only attend and possibly replace the boiler if it has broken down
I know I have a grant as they have already done some insulation in my loft. I only hope the boiler lasts until the spring so that I do not have to go without heating or hot water during this cold weather.

margaretclare

Hi crinkly2

Have you actually applied to WarmFront for something to be done about your boiler? Sounds as if it really does need replacing. If you look at Elhall's posts you'll see that there is a timescale for work to be done. You need the surveyor from WF's appointed installer in your area (could be Interglow from their Chelmsford office?) to come and verify the state of your boiler, then they send in their quote to WF, WF contact you to tell you how much of your already-approved grant remains and whether any extra needs to be paid by you, if so you pay it, then the installer makes an 'installation appointment' to come and do the work.

We're hoping that ours will be done early in the New Year, and as we're away for 5 days all over Christmas from Friday, that's fine with us.

You need to keep on the phone to WF though, as Elhall suggests!

I know what it's like being without heating/hot water having come home from a hot country in December to find the boiler condemned!! Not an experience I'd ever wish to repeat.

You have to be a bit assertive with this though, as in so many areas of life. Don't let anyone fob you off.

Margaret

HugoSP

crinkly2 wrote:

I have just been on to Warm front as my boiler is nearly 20 years old and after a corgi engineer checked it yesterday, because I have a slight gas leak he said it was its age and it is wearing out. The Warm front team tell me also that they can only attend and possibly replace the boiler if it has broken down
I know I have a grant as they have already done some insulation in my loft. I only hope the boiler lasts until the spring so that I do not have to go without heating or hot water during this cold weather.

There are ways to "shedule" in a boiler breakdown. That way you'll know when it will break down if it hasn't already.

My guess is that March should do you, then use the immersion for your HW whislt Warmfront do their thing.

SambaRamba

Hello, I qualify for a warmfront grant for central heating due to my income. Does anyone know what happens if I receive a payrise after the date of the application, which takes my earnings to just above the limit? What if the work has already started?