Nationwide Energy Services

Keith54

A sales girl from Nationwide Energy Services came to my door today and she was very nice. She offered to do the loft insulation and cavity wall insulation for free.

I wanted to think about it so asked for her contact details, she gave me a leaflet which is the same as the information on their website except for the last line, in bold writing...........AFTER OCTOBER THE GREEN TAX WILL COME INTO PLAY, AND ANYONE WHO DOES NOT MEET REGULATION WILL BE CHARGED £670, IN YOUR GAS AND ELECTRIC BILLS. THIS IS UNAVOIDABLE.

Surely this is wrong and Seems like pressure selling to me. I would like to report this, but who to?

paulmapp8306

Loft and cavety wall is FREE for EVERYONE provided its applied for via your local council (who put you in contact with their prefered installer). Other companies also offer the service at a reduction - which can be free if your on benefits or at a large reduction inf not.

the money is comming from a pot to reduce emmissions. This runs out at the end of 2012, so most companies want applications in by the end of September so work can be carried out and invoiced (to the "pot") by this date.

Check with your council first to see if you can still get it free.

FWIW, I had my house surveyed last week - work being dont mid Sep (both cavity and loft). I get no benefits and earn just over £40k/years. Its free for me.

Sceptic_33

I've just had a salesman at my door about free loft insulation through the Nationwide Energy Services. He had a quick look at my loft and said it's not bad but could do with more. Thing is, I'm of the opinion that nothing's free but I can't find anything on the paperwork that says any different and he said it's paid for by the government but only for so long - is this right? I'm naturally sceptical!

clutton_2

Nationwide energy services are THE worst company i have ever dealt with in all my years as a Landlord and these horror stories dont surprise me one little bit. Their "surveyors" have no idea whatsoever how properties are built, so don't know if a property has a cavity wall or not and one actually told me "no terraced housing has cavity walls". Finally after he had visited one of my properties 3 times he finally agreed it did have a cavity..... I have still only had 1/4 of the work done... and i started this insane relationship 3 months ago....

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE

macman

Sceptic_33 wrote: »

I've just had a salesman at my door about free loft insulation through the Nationwide Energy Services. He had a quick look at my loft and said it's not bad but could do with more. Thing is, I'm of the opinion that nothing's free but I can't find anything on the paperwork that says any different and he said it's paid for by the government but only for so long - is this right? I'm naturally sceptical!

It's only 'free' in the sense that you are not billed for it directly. It's paid for by a levy which is reflected in your power bills. So you are paying for it anyway even if you don't take up the offer.
But is there really anyone left in the UK who hasn't had their loft insulated by now though? Even if you do pay the commercial rate for it, or DIY, it's still going to pay back in a few months for most people.

Servalan_2

I have waited in all day today for the contractor provided by NES to turn up and no one has come or contacted me to let me know what's happening. I've tried phoning NES four times and been put on hold repeatedly but without ever managing to speak to a human being. This has been a complete waste of time (I would normally have been at work.) I will not be using them ever again and have contacted British Gas to get the work done - they said provided you contact them before 30 Nov the work should still be free even though it will be February before anyone can come and do the survey. I'm fed up at having to wait but nothing I can do. I have sent in a complaint to NES but that won't get me today back. I wish I'd looked at this thread and seen the complaints before I allowed their people over the threshold.

antdad

NES cold-called my elderly mothers home while I was there, I said the insulation had already been done to standard (30 cm"). The !!!! wipe told me glass fibre insulation isn't legal and it should be removed and replace with Rockwool.

Said person was told to sling hook.

jnetp

I am very suspicious of cold callers and have had a few phone calls from "Nationwide Energy Services". This in itself was enough to put me off them for good!

I would NEVER accept anything through a cold call, after too many doorstep salesmen and unwanted phone calls (in spite of being TPS registered); but maybe the local council would tell me how to go about applying? Is it too late to apply for loft insulation? The hatch into my loft is tiny - only a small child could get in there. I am also renting.

A neighbour said that it's also possible to get a free "low carbon footprint" boiler, which would be even better, as at the moment there is a copper immersion tank that takes ages to warm far more water than I need at any one time. My landlord (usually a helpful and reasonable man) has refused to put in a combi boiler as he says they are unreliable. But if it was free...???

Does anyone know how to go about applying, if my landlord agrees?

FranklyShirley

I was just phoned by Nationwide Energy Services. I was surveyed by the local Mi5 I mean Council as a statistical example of my sort of housing needs chosen at random. I was told the age and condition and safety and suitability were the criteria of the Housing Survey, but that I could apply anywhere under these schemes and probably get some work done. However, this is a Lissett building from 1975 and although I call it a Post Colonial ex British Empire bungalow it is in fact a large mobile home. Well loft and wall insulation is tricky here so I have infilled celotex and used multifoil internally with new cladding and curtain double glazing at recycled prices, all by hand. My nPower (recommended by MSE) heating and electric bills average at £65.00/pcm. So that is OK. But no pay for NES under the vanishing grant scheme, but THIS IS THE INTERESTING BIT: I said my very old Baxi Bermuda back boiler was clunky and nPower who I have just signed up for £15.00/month service deal are just as likely to sniff at it and look down their noses at it. Apart from temporarily hunting for where the gas is since I tried to light it ,which might screw the contract, it must be ages since (I think it was a WarmFront/Sure scheme) the boiler was installed or improved system wise. So a new boiler they said might be FREE. When I had it serviced on moving in the GasSafe engineer said it could be kept going with ebay parts, or spending £4,000 might be nice. Personally I think the arguments over struggling on with an old system or going mental for a new even FREE one has to be carefully weighed. AhAh, if I get a new boiler I got the impression from others above the hot water cylinder (type for a mobile home) might be irrelevant. When I moved in double insulated that so much the airing cupboard was stone cold. I will miss the old hiss. And they are hundreds of pounds! This industry! Some advice in forums is from bonkers engineers...according to other engineers. Why can't things last like the Victorians managed to do? Anyone got a 5,000BTU multi fuel stove? There are woods and hedges nearby! Or a heat exchanger for my adjacent mill stream? I do have a load of redundant secondary glazing frames at 45degrees along the South wall "skirt" of this place and maybe that passive solar heating justifies not having underfloor insulation. I just need money I think.
There is always something to worry about! Ah, now it is floods!

TiTheRev

Just been visited by these guys, and because we are on working tax credits and get child benefit(?) we qualify for a free combi boiler and loft insulation. The insulation was done circa 10yrs ago, but because it's not 150mm and is fibreglass we can get it re-done?

I am a sceptic by nature, especially when it's all offered free, but the surveyor answered all of my questions convincingly and seemingly sensibly!

What might I need to watch for, or shall I just sit back & let them supply it all FOC?!