Warm Front Grant saved me a fortune!

Princessa_2

Hi! I'm working my way through these posts, but thought I'd ask incase I miss anything.

My partner and I have just bought a house, and he's removing all the old loft insulation as it is really old, and putting new insulation down, aswell as putting floorboards up there as there weren't any before. We've bought all the insulation and boards etc already, but was wondering if we'd be able to claim any sort of grant for doing this ourselves?
Thanks!

Elhall_2

I worked for an installer of the Warmfront Grant for 3.5 years. I have not read the whole of the tread as I'm at work, and don't have the time... but I'll fill you in on a few tips and warnings.

1) If your boiler is working then you won't get the grant, no matter how old it is. When the initial inspector comes around he will give you an appointment, leave the boiler switched off that day and tell him it works only some of the time. If your boiler is old do the same thing with the installers survey. The installers get nothing for doing a survey unless they can find something wrong with the boiler. If it's an old boiler that means changing it, if it's new then at the least a service and a power flush.

2) You won't get upgrade to radiator sizes or new radiators unless the 'minium living rooms' are unheated. However most installers will give you the option of adding onto the system, this is usually around £170-300 depending on the radiator size. BUT... if your radiators are leaking or rusty then they should change them as part of the grant. If they have to change the rad then they'll put one in that's the right size. You could MAKE the rad leak, BUT if you do that you won't be able to do that until they install which could be 6 weeks away or more... BE VERY CAREFUL!!!

3) Boilers are usually changed on a like for like bias. This means that if your boiler doesn't heat the radiators properly now, they might not when the new boiler is in. Boilers can be upgraded but you have to pay the difference, this could cost you a couple of hundred. Don't be affraid to ask the installing company AND Eaga about this.

4) Installers get a MAXIUM of 12 weeks to install/repair a job. This starts from the time they recieve the job, to the installation. Rule of thumb = 2 weeks until you get a survey, 1 week to price up, 1 week to be approved by Eaga, 1-4 weeks for the materials then 1-4 weeks for install. Make notes on when you applied. If you are told that they are recommending you for a boiler change phone Ega in a couple of days and ask them who will be installing and there contact number. Check when they passed the information to the installer and mark on your calender. If you haven't heard anything within around 10 working day phone Eaga.

5) Phoning Eaga with questions and complains is a good idea. Installers don't always inform Eaga if they are having problems as it effects their vender rating (how many jobs get passed to them)

6) If you are not happy with the service you are getting them complain, ask for the complaint to be escalated. Once it becomes an escallated call all kind of doors are opened.

7) It was mentioned earlier that they had a quote of arround £600 parts and £1800 labour. That's about right. What it doesn't tell you is that the labour includes things like the piping, elbows, tees and other things that the engineers need. It also includes your electrics, which will be upgraded to meet the standards.

The Warmfront Grant is a very good :T , it has helped a lot of poeple. The poeple in the call centres don't always get it right, at least they didn't when I left as they were mostly new (Eaga have only just got the grant, it was orginally run by Powergen) It can be a pain to keep ringing them, but believe me they'll do what ever it takes to stop you ringing :rotfl: and it is a free phone number (which the installers one won't be).

PM if you have any other questions, I don't come on this thread very oftern, and I'll help where I can.

Elhall_2

Princessa wrote:

Hi! I'm working my way through these posts, but thought I'd ask incase I miss anything.

My partner and I have just bought a house, and he's removing all the old loft insulation as it is really old, and putting new insulation down, aswell as putting floorboards up there as there weren't any before. We've bought all the insulation and boards etc already, but was wondering if we'd be able to claim any sort of grant for doing this ourselves? We have 2 young children, and recieve working tax credits, though I'm not sure how much OH earns.
Thanks!

Sorry, No.

Once you've brought it, you've bought it.

Installers have to go through A LOT to get approved. They will only pay for certain poeple to do ANY work at your house.

Sorry

Princessa_2

Elhall wrote:

Sorry, No.

Once you've brought it, you've bought it.

Installers have to go through A LOT to get approved. They will only pay for certain poeple to do ANY work at your house.

Sorry

Pressed the thanks button but it doesn't seem to have appeared! That's ok, I wasn't sure but thought it best to ask. Haven't spent much on it, but thought it was worth finding out about!

Elhall_2

If you still have the old stuff and can take the new back??? Apply then...

There's a thanks button??

Lady_K

Elhall

Thanx for all that info. Is it the normal time for the installers that have been given my job to come and do my survey and then not have sent the quote off for 3 weeks to warmfront and say they wont be sending it off for another 10-12 working days? I just thought it was a long time. How long do you think it will be once the quote gets to warmfront?

Elhall_2

Yes that does seem like a long time, it could be that they are having problems in the office. Remember you'll have another 5 days to wait for Eaga to approve the quote as well - once they recieve it. They have already used up nearly a 1/3 of the time allowed. They'll be pushing it to get in.

Recommend: Call Eaga, tell them when you had the survey and what they recommended. Ask how long it is until your work will be approved as you don't want a CC (Customer Contribution) to land on your door just before Christmas. They should phone the installers and chase them. Tell them how cold it is and that you haven't heard anything. You could start a complaint off on the time it's taking (but it is in the time frame at the moment), and you could ask for time lines.

It is not unusal to NOT hear anything from the survey until they are phoning for an install date, unless Eaga ask for a contribution. Have they told you that they haven't sent the quote in yet?

Lady_K

I rang warmfront and the girl just said it does take up to 6 months but I know that anyway. She said the installer prob has a lot of jobs on or something but if I havent heard anything in another 2 weeks ring warmfront again and they will ring the installers on my behalf. The installers when I rang them yesterday told me they had not drawn up a quote and they will be doing that in another 10-12 working days but she didnt sound too convincing really which is why I got worried

Elhall_2

which installer is it, and what area of the uk are you in?

Lady_K

Kershaws in cambridge and I am in Nottingham