MSE News: Warning over boiler scrappage incentives

Former_MSE_Guy

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"Energy firms offering money off a new boiler when scrapping an old appliance may still be hundreds of pounds too expensive ..."

Read the full story:
Warning over boiler scrappage incentives

Canucklehead

Good evening: advice on the Boiler Scrappage Scheme is available from the Energy Saving Trust(EST) as well as the Heating and Hot Water Council (HHIC). Always ask for full specification written quotations and compare like for like. MSErs on the 'In My Home Forum' can give you the lowdown on prices they have been quoted (or paid) based on a specific location in the UK.

HTH

Canucklehead

furndire

In our local paper small ads there is a local plumber offering combi boiler and 6 radiators fitted for £1650 - just goes to show what you get when you shop around. Not gone into any of the whys and wherefores as we don't need a new boiler luckily.

Where theres a scheme there are always schemers.

Premier_2

Let me get this right. Are you really warning us about the governments boiler scrappage scheme and suggesting the warmfront scheme as an alternative? :eek:

The warnings about the scrappage scheme were raised when you first posted about the scheme
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2136615

I thought I heard subsequently that the scrappage could be obtained from any authorised installer, not just from the big energy companies ... but I might be mistaken on that because, as I posted in that earlier thread, I decided to keep my "faithful and trusted 20 year old gas boiler" anyway so haven't followed all the updates on eligibility requirements.

However the [STRIKE]scandal[/STRIKE] scheme known as WarmFront has been heavily reported on:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8165827.stm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/items/01/2008_06_mon.shtml
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=384455

(there's plenty more examples where they came from!)

jcorbygas

Many people get sucked in by the advertising from BG, Npower etc and dont research the correct costs involved.
We are an independent small business and always try to persuade our customers against changing their boiler if their existing one is working even if its 20 years old, but the customers are so taken in by the misleading claims that they will 'save' money on their gas bills and dont take into account the fact that they will not save money in the end as they will have to pay out for the new boiler in the first place, and it will most probably not be so reliable as their existing boiler.
This scrappage scheme is not about saving money for the customer but trying to cut down on the CO2 emissions so the country can meet its targets.
The only good thing I can say about the scheme compared with WarmFront is that the customer can go to any installer to get quotes and get the work done, so the small company does not lose out and the customer (in our case at least) gets a good job done.
And as a note to all those sceptical people who think we charge a lot for the job compared to the cost of a 'labourer' then is the labourer going to be prepared to be rung up at 11pm at night or 7am or on a Sunday because their system isnt working and go out to them or give them advice on the phone - I think not!!

Premier_2

blind-as-a-bat wrote: »

...apart from the need for a Corgi , or what ever it is called now, registered fitter, whose actuall needed involvement is less than half an hour to check the labourer has fitted it correctly, replacemant is a simple job , this was bound to be used to increase profits.

No!

No one is allowed to work on gas appliances as part of their employment unless they are gas-safe registered. The fitter must be gas-safe registered, not just some paper ticking clerk afterwards to approve the work.

http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/

mike_the_bike_2

Premier wrote: »

No!

No one is allowed to work on gas appliances as part of their employment unless they are gas-safe registered. The fitter must be gas-safe registered, not just some paper ticking clerk afterwards to approve the work.

http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/

Could you please point me to the actual statute in law where that is documented..If so and it exists its not working..Common knowledge that many installers operate with unregistered doing the work and the "boss" with the bit of paper coming around at the end and checking over work and writing the certificate.

the other example of course is certainly in the Corgi days in order to get your ticket as a trainee you had to do some gas work on site where by it had to be documented and signed off by someone with a corgi ticket.

silverwitch

Perfectly legal to fit your own boiler provided it is inspected and the final gas connection and testing is done by registered gas-safe bod

Premier_2

mike_the_bike wrote: »

....Common knowledge that many installers operate with unregistered doing the work and the "boss" with the bit of paper coming around at the end and checking over work and writing the certificate...

I would agree ... and they often end up on the likes of BBC Watchdog, Rogue Traders etc.! :eek:

Refer to the link provided for further clarification of the requirements

Gas Safe Register deals with all aspects of the downstream gas industry covered by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994 as amended and applied by the Gas Safety (Application) Order 1996 in the Isle of Man. It covers both piped natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

It is law that anyone carrying out gas work that is within the scope of the appropriate Regulations is on the Gas Safe Register from 1 April 2009.
...

https://engineers.gassaferegister.co.uk/About.aspx

Do not let a gas engineer into your home, let alone anywhere near your gas appliances unless they first produce their own personal gas-safe register id card.

Premier_2

silverwitch wrote: »

Perfectly legal to fit your own boiler provided it is inspected and the final gas connection and testing is done by registered gas-safe bod

If you do the work yourself, you don't need to be registered.

But you do need to be competent!
And if you are competent, you don't need any gas-safe registered engineer to inspect the work carried out or make the final connection.

potogold_2

RE Boiler Scrappage scheme: I have been trying to take advantage of this this week by getting quotes done. Trouble is, the bigger firms cannot offer to come and give a quote for some 2-3 weeks...too late, I suspect to send off and get one of the vouchers as there are only 125k available. Smaller companies have been round in the past 2 days, so ,hopefully will be ok. I do feel rather rushed into making a decision though...what has anyone else found?