Grants for new boiler

margaretclare

downshifter98 wrote:

yes this was my experience of the installers - as I mentioned in a previous post - fact is the installers are the ones that are going to profit from installing a brand new boiler arent they? Once they see that the boiler is of a certain age and condition (with encouragement from the owner!) then they will offer a new one (I explained that our boiler worked but was unreliable) - I've now been told that the total cost will be £2805 and I must provide a cheque for the excess (£105) before they will start the work - I'm quite happy with this as you can imagine!! Now waiting for them to provide an installation date......

It would appear that the criteria are quite different in England than in Scotland. Earlier in this thread the discussion centred around the rules in Scotland and, although the criteria there appear to be more generous - age-related only, not requiring means-tested or disability-related benefits as well - it does state quite clearly that if the boiler is still working, regardless of its age, it wouldn't be replaced but would be repaired.

This was posted by Dustangle in July, quoting the Scottish criteria:

Your existing central heating system must be completely broken and beyond repair. You must agree to the complete package of measures being installed in your home where appropriate and must accept that the final decision on the type of heating to be installed in the property will be made by the Managing Agent, Eaga Partnership.

We are quite happy with what we learned today, because it was what we wanted all along. The young guys barely looked at the boiler - well, you can't actually see it because it's behind the gas-fire - they asked if it was working and we said 'yes'. They agreed with us that the loft was the best place to site the new boiler, they agreed with us that it should be a combi - everything that we wanted, that we'd got quotes for from local installers!

I can understand why the company who's actually going to carry out the installation are taking this view. After all, they're certain of getting paid, aren't they? (Not that they wouldn't have been if we'd been doing it off our own bat, our cheques do not bounce.) But you can see it, can't you?

Well, I keep hearing that 'we've paid into the system, paid our taxes all these years, why shouldn't we have something back'. We've never actually taken that view, but given that DH and I have paid income tax since we were 16 and we're both still paying it at 71, I guess it's a good idea.

Margaret

HACZ

I have recieved a new condensing bolier and had a few radiaters replaced that were a little rusty.

My wife is on DLA as she has a brain tumour.

To ensure the maximium work gets done you must labour the point regarding any problems with your system and state how that affects your quality of life and energy efficiency.

Good luck

emszii

HACZ wrote:

I have recieved a new condensing bolier and had a few radiaters replaced that were a little rusty.

My wife is on DLA as she has a brain tumour.

To ensure the maximium work gets done you must labour the point regarding any problems with your system and state how that affects your quality of life and energy efficiency.

Good luck

Hello
was it done under the warmfront scheme? I work for Eaga partnership in wales, for the HEES Scheme(the welsh assembly equivelant). This time of year its getting very busy.

nigel9000

If you qualify for a grant from Warm front to change your boiler then you are best just to keep that grant for the boiler only. Then apply for another separate grant for cavity and loft insulation.

nigel9000@hotmail.com

Lakelady_2

We had our visit from the Warm Front surveyor yesterday.
Our boiler is over 18 years old, very inefficient and I`ve just has a gas leak fixed.
Our front room is freezing as there is no radiator in there and the gas fire doesn`t heat the room, plus we have several rusty radiators.
Anyways the news is we can have some energy efficient light bulbs, to say I`m thrilled is an understatement :mad:

Lady_K

Is your boiler working at the moment at all? coz if it is that will prob be why they have only offered you the light bulbs

nigel9000

Yes warmfront do supply grants of 2700 but all measures and boilers come out of this grant. So when the cavity and loft is taken out of this grant there is not much left to cover the new boiler. It is best to do separate grants for this purpose. Warfront does not cover people whop are not on benefit. There are other schemes as I have mentioned to cover these people.

Thanks

Nigel

nova86_2

My Mother applied for and has had her application for the warm front grant approved with an excess of £300 to pay. This is to replace a broken down old standard boiler with a condensing standard boiler.

I have called the installers and they gave me a list of things they will do over the phone for a basic boiler replacement. i.e. new boiler, flue, condensing pipe, replace cylinder, motorised valve, circulation pump, bonding, hw conditioner, power flush, converting to fully pumped.

Because the list went on, I asked for a written list, but they have said they won't put it into writing. They want my Mother to pay the excess without having in writing what work they will do. I spoke to warm front and they will not help and say it's up to the installers.

Did anyone who has had the work done receive a written confirmation of the work to be carried out before having to pay? And when they replace the boiler what exactly do they do, is all the above necessary. I ask because I was under the impression that I already had a fully pumped system and they have stated it's work to do.

Charis

I have had full loft insulation (about 25cms - 10 inches - in depth) and a new warm air unit under the Warm Front scheme. We are fairly tied in to the warm air heating system on this estate unless we fork out extra for radiators and subsequent decorating. I applied the summer before last to see if we could have loft insulation as we live in a bungalow, so all rooms lose heat through the roof. A man came and did a survey and because I get Child Tax credit (not quite retirement age) and our income is below the threshhold they specify, we were told we could have insulation and, if our boiler broke down, a new boiler to the total value of £2,700.
At the time our boiler was ailing but not dead so we had the insulation done in March, feeling the benefits immediately. We were also sent several of the new generation of energy saving bulbs for free. By the summer our heating maintenance company decided that they could no longer find spare parts as the maker went out of business years ago, so we were granted a new heating unit. Total cost was over £3000 and I paid the difference, about £480, from savings. It did take about three months for the unit to arrive in stock, due to demand for the scheme. I had already been assessed so was on the fast track. Old unit out and new one in within a day, in the same location with very little mess, which they even cleared up!
Result? A lovely warm home and hopefully a lower gas bill (yes I have taken Martin's advice and changed gas suppliers).
An extra bonus is that for the same price per unit Southern Electric award Argos points so I can save for 10% off all Argos purchases with the points. 500 points buys as many vouchers as you can afford and SE give you the first 500 free! Vouchers can also be used at Homebase. Spend them on a 10% day and you get 20% off. This applies to ALL SE customers on the Argos scheme, not just silver savers. This money saving lark is addictive isn't it, I wonder what else I can find?

downshifter98

Hi - Following my previous comments on this thread I just thought I would bring you all upto date with my experience - my new boiler has now been installed and I am,of course, very happy with the outcome. The company that I dealt with was 'quality heating' but they contract out and, luckily for me, the contractors who did my work were very good - conscientious, polite, professional and very very patient - my overall system has always been a bit quirky and I knew there would be some fun and games but they took it all in their stride. As to the actual 'warmfront' grant system, well I think maybe it's being milked by the heating companies a little bit - my full quote of £2805 included (I found out the morning of the work) scaffolding to the back of the house; the boiler was being sited in a bedroom and has a flat roof directly outside but the scaffolders still insisted on fitting a 'safety rail' all around the flat roof - when the fitters turned up they were as amused as me and told me that the cost of this (3 or 400 pound) would have been used to bump the price upto the grant level - I was also supplied with all kinds of unneeded stuff (thermostatic valves, a header tank, new pump) but not a timer that was needed - the fitters explained that this was always happening because the surveyors used are often just salesmen or don't stay in the job very long, so all they care about is costing the work for the maximum grant. But, hey, it all worked in my favour I guess - the contractors apparently get to keep the unwanted items and were happy to supply a timer from their own 'stock' - the work ended up taking much longer than expected (almost 3 days), mainly due to the aforementioned 'quirkiness' but in that time the fitters also managed to fix a few things that were certainly not expected of them (they fitted a new drainage point, refixed 1 rad which was almost hanging off of the wall and tidied up some of my electrics) - and the end result is that I have a much improved system and far more efficient boiler - happy days - patience is definitely required with this process (I applied last December!) but, for anyone with an old and unreliable system, it is worth it!

downshifter98