Warm Front Grant saved me a fortune!

Wesker

Been having some problems with our boiler recently and have had British Gas out several times (got service contract with them)
They have replaced several parts but still wasnt right so had them out again today, needs another new part but cos its an old boiler (20+ years) they cant get the part so have condemned it
Had a guy out from Warm Front a few months ago cos hubby is on DLA but all we were entitled to at the time was some energy saving light bulbs, but he did say we would be covered for a new boiler if it ever broke.
Anyway had a look on the Warm Front site today but there seems to be a 3-4 month waiting list in my area.
Is this usual?
Luckily the worst of the cold weather is over now but dont really want to have to go 3 or 4 months without hot water

margaretclare

Wesker wrote: »

Been having some problems with our boiler recently and have had British Gas out several times (got service contract with them)
They have replaced several parts but still wasnt right so had them out again today, needs another new part but cos its an old boiler (20+ years) they cant get the part so have condemned it
Had a guy out from Warm Front a few months ago cos hubby is on DLA but all we were entitled to at the time was some energy saving light bulbs, but he did say we would be covered for a new boiler if it ever broke.
Anyway had a look on the Warm Front site today but there seems to be a 3-4 month waiting list in my area.
Is this usual?
Luckily the worst of the cold weather is over now but dont really want to have to go 3 or 4 months without hot water(

I applied at the end of June last year and we got the work done on 8th January.

Phone WarmFront and tell them that the boiler has been condemned and needs replacing ASAP!!

Margaret

Lady_K

Quite dissapointed to say after waiting weeks and weeks prior to the faultfinder man from kershaws coming round and said hed be back in max 10 days its now over 5 weeks again and not 1 phonecall from either him or kershaws

I think I've given them more than plenty of time again, you'd think it common curtesy for them to at least ring to let me know whats happening but they don't seem to bat an eye at all. They are employed by warmfront but they just seem to get away with such shoddy work and treatment towards customers its terrible.

I did say it's not going to be easy to get the full effect of any repairs the closer to summer it gets, they must know this and I'm wondering whether they are trying to stall on purpose but then again thy stall by nature by the looks of it.

Since the fault finder man came another problem is happening on top. I thought I was being fussy so didn't mention the bathroom radiator changed by them after they broke it being put in too low to the floor but actually this is causing problems so I'm going to have to add this to the list. Its making the floor so hot when the radiator is on that its cracking the flooring, if I had carpet in there I'm sure it would crack that up too, I cannot get to the skirting board. They did this because of the stupid pipes they left in making it awkward to put the new rad back in its original position.

Kershaws just give me the impression that they could'nt give a damn to be honest

Warmfront did ring to check though last weds to ask if the problems had now been sorted and I told her no I had heard absolutely nothing from kershaws or the troubleshooter. Warmfront said they would ring again in 2 days Friday to see if I had still not heard anything. I think Warmfront did ring yesterday but I didnt get to the phone in time so rang 1471 and it was the 0800 warmfront number, I didn't ring it back though as I was in the middle of something I expect they will ring again to check soon

Lady_K

The troubleshooter from kershaws has rang at last this morning, maybe warmfront had to nudge them yet again but anyway hes coming Thursday morning.

It all still sounds a bit in the air to me as he just said he was coming to flush out the system. I asked what about the other things that need re-doing and he said it says flush out system and do remedials. Part of that is changing the radiator back to the size that was taken out but he didn't mention that at all, surely hed know if he had a radiator to swap. Also he will need a set of long ladders to point up the crap brickwork they left gaping open at the side of the house. I reminded him he'd need a long ladder for this and he said he thinks he has one that will fit. Shouldnt there be 2 people using a ladder like that?

I don't know if to just ring and check what they are doing on this day or just leave it to see what gets done first. There is normally no talking to kershaws the warmfront section though they are so rude, its just one girl deals with it unless shes on a break or away but I really don't feel like her nasty attitude today.

I mentioned the low set radiator they have put in that is cracking up my flooring and he said he could prob move that at the same time, I hope so anyway I'd rather get it done and out of they way so I can re-do my floor again I cant do it till thats done and its looking a mess

jollyanna

Lady K ,they seem to have given you the run-around on your WarmFront work. Have you thought about speaking to your M.P. if things are not put to rights very soon ? A letter from him/her should spur them on to show more respect to the client.

Lady_K

If things arent put right in full very soon I will do that, I suppose if it had been colder months I could not have tolerated things so long. I'm even considering now showing the engineer the torn brand new carpet which was fitted only a few weeks before the installers came, they ripped it up too fast without taking care and tore it in a few places. I was going to let this go but after the trouble they have been I really don't see why they should get away with it. I'm sitting here thinking how to repair it when I shouldnt be, it was thier fault.

Only thing I cannot fully test over summer is how well the heating system is working I wont know this till the winter but I really do not think still that the boiler is the right output on the central heating for the size of the property and rads it feeds as my old one was higher. Once these repairs have been carried out I think I should put my concerns in writing to warmfront as I'm a bit concerned that there may be a time limit on this as they said if it proved insufficient kershaws should replace the boiler at thier own cost and I know they will not admit this without an independant person being involved. Warmfront did warn them about this before fitting, I offered to pay the difference for the next size up which really wasnt that much it was about £60-£70 I think, warmfront contacted them about it and they assured me that it was enough to do next doors house as well which is total rubbish.

The troubleshooter guy is employed by Kershaws so I doubt very much he will go that far to admit that the bigger boiler should have been fitted if he knows kershaws will have to replace it, although he did think the boiler would be the next size up when he first saw the size of the house and rads. He took some bits off to get to the information on it to check the size. He then made no comment when he realized it was the lowest output one.

margaretclare

Lady_K wrote:

Warmfront did ring to check though last weds to ask if the problems had now been sorted and I told her no I had heard absolutely nothing from kershaws or the troubleshooter. Warmfront said they would ring again in 2 days Friday to see if I had still not heard anything. I think Warmfront did ring yesterday but I didnt get to the phone in time so rang 1471 and it was the 0800 warmfront number, I didn't ring it back though as I was in the middle of something I expect they will ring again to check soon

Lady_K, really, you are your own worst enemy sometimes, aren't you? Forgive me for speaking plainly, but I'm a Yorkshirewoman and that's what we do. You've mentioned this before, haven't you - you were doing something else at the time so didn't take proper notice of what the examiner/assessor said, didn't point out all the points that you wanted attending to. You 'were in the middle of something' - what could possibly be more important that required your urgent attention, whyever didn't you phone WF back pronto when you realised it was them?

If that had been me I would have been on the phone to WF on a DAILY basis until I got it all sorted to my personal satisfaction. I would not make excuses for them about torn carpets (new, for Heaven's sake!) or any other damage, still less about inadequate and skimpy work. Do I need to remind you - these people are making a living out of us, they have a regular contract from a government agency which means they don't need to go looking for other work, they get paid for what they do! And they are supposed to be professionals, for goodness' sake! And you need to get it sorted at this time of year - don't wait until it gets colder! Although we've been having sunny dry days, it's been noticeable that the temperature drops as soon as the sun goes down and I have not risked putting any of my tomatoes, petunias out yet because of the risk of frosty nights. We have the temperature set at 19 degrees from 6 pm to 10.30 pm so if the temperature drops below that the heating comes on, and if this is the case with yours then you should be able to get an idea about whether it's working or not.

Margaret

Lady_K

Well I would normally have rang back but it was late about 3.45pm when they rang so by the time I'd finished (I had people here) it was 4pm so I thought oh they will be closed and they will prob ring back monday but maybe I should have just rang them back though yes.

The engineers have just left, they got here at 8am an hour earlier than planned. They have replaced the rad for a bigger one in the bedroom and removed the unsightly pipes in the bathroom and supported the floorboard that the others left unsafe in there. He said he couldnt move it up to its higher normal possition because they only have to be 6 inches off the floor downstairs in a property, the others lowered it without asking me so it's cracking the flooring but he didnt think that was important enough but I'll check with the inspector when he comes round again if they should sort that, apparently he has to come round again now.

They have pointed up the brickwork outside (havent checked that yet) They didnt remove the thermostat from the hall radiator either I noticed when they had gone but that doesnt really bother me I always have it on full anyway.

I'm so mad I forgot about the carpet in the bathroom till margaretclare just mentioned it, not sure whether to mention it to wamfront or wait for inspector.

Since they have been today there is something wrong with my phoneline. He asked to use the phone and as soon as he replaced the handset all the corded phones in the house started screaming the wire to that one is down the side of the boiler, somethings happened somewhere its screaming all the time unless its unplugged. The phone is now ringing intermittently when no one is really calling and it keeps giving the engaged tone when its not engaged. It started from the second he put the phone down no problem before that. I don't know if hes damaged the wire somewhere I've had a look but cant see anything but hes knocked around there a lot. I've unscrewed the connected plug to see if hes loosened a wire but cant see anything obvious, I think it got a bit of water in it but its dry now and still the same. Its an extention socket that wasnt fitted by ntl so they wont do anything about that its been in for about 18 years anyway with no problem. I have rang ntl and they also said the lines showing as engaged, they are coming on monday morning but I don't know what they will say as its an extention.

As for the mess, well... they didnt have as much to do but theres still mess, they didn't clear up at all in any room and in the kitchen they left a pool of water which may even have chemicals in it from the powerflush system I'm not sure, its a pool about 2ft by 2ft of water just left. I'm just quite fed up of it now, on one hand I'm glad some things have been done but still dissapointed by other things. I'm worried about my phoneline aswell.

When he first came round too he did state that powerflushing should take 2 hours and I timed them doing this today and they did it for 50 minutes I will inform the inspector about this too

hawkwind

A few years ago now, we applied for a warmfront grant.
The chap came around and said that we only qualified for 2 gas wall heaters.
I declined the offer as we have 2 feet plus thick walls and i did not really want anyone knocking holes in them as the are some very large stones built into our house, but he eventually persuaded me to have them fitted as it was not going to cost a bean.

I thought it may be worth applying again, after all we have nothing to lose.
Well today the chap[ comes around, looks at all of our paperwork, measures the dimentions of the house etc.
Then tells us that we qualify for the full £2700 central heating grant.
He then asks if we have had a grant in the past and i tell him about the 2 wall heaters.
Oh dear, came the reply, i am afraid then that you do not qualify after all.
He phones the office up to double check and the bad news is confirmed, so we now dont get anything.

I feel cheated now, as i did not want the 2 wall heaters in the first place.
They knocked a ruddy great hole in the front of our house to fit 1 of the heaters, they filled it all in ok but never came back to finish the dashing so we were left with an unsightly looking patch on the front of the house, despite numerous phone calls and letters to warmfront to have the work completed.

So it looks like we are stuck with an electric fire again next winter to keep us warm downstairs as the wall heaters were fitted in the bedrooms.

Lady_K

hawkwind

I would try them again just in case because unless your heaters cost £2700 you should have something leftover.

I was told at first I couldnt claim either but some of them have been told different rules to others by the sound of it. Could the claim be made in your wifes name if you have one instead if necessary?