MSE News: Warm Front energy grant scheme open for applications

Crabman

Carillion to acquire EAGA?

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110419-702650.html

glorynewman

Let me tell you about Warm Front and what an idiotic scheme they have in place. In November 10, my boiler "died", leaving me, in the worst weather, completely without heating. I approached Warm Front and, yes, I did qualify for the full grant. However, I would have to wait 8 months for the work to be carried out. I needed heating immediately so took the initiative to arrange a qualified central heating firm to install a new boiler. This would not do, said Warm Front as they do not `pay out` retrespectively and in any case will only use their own engineers with their choice of boiler. Fortunately my Son loaned me the money for the installation but how many pensioners are out there now still wrapped in blankets with hot water bottles waiting for the `Oh so generous grant` from Warm Front?

Crabman

skcollobcat10 wrote: »

Are you meaning that you get the grant portion and do you have to add additional money towards it to get the full work done?

The grant funding belongs to the applicant. The issue of additional money is completely irrelevant.

It is a surprise that EAGA won the contract to provide Warm Front services until 2013 given the widespread problems and complaints from applicants of the scheme. I wonder what factors influenced the government to award the contract to such an incompetent firm.

Blondie_Geek

Apparently as a housing association tenant I am not eligible, despite fulfilling the benefits criteria. I cannot understand how private tenants are eligible but I'm not. The only thing that I could think of, was that my housing association must have a 'pot of money' available for this kind of thing. I checked and they don't. I got my flat by being on the housing register and it is just by chance I got a housing association flat instead of a council flat - my circumstances were still exactly the same. So if I could afford to privately rent, I could get help towards installation, but not if I cannot afford to privately rent - this makes no sense to me :mad: The reason this bothers me so much is that I have a copy of the energy efficiency of my flat and it is very energy inefficient - it even recommends on the report that I get insulation installed. I have lived in a number of properties over the years and not one of them has been as cold as this one, and being chronically ill, it has not helped my health. Because of my condition, I feel the cold less than 'normal' people, so it is saying something that I have been so cold in this flat, and could not afford huge heating bills, that I now have some sort of discolouration of my skin where I practically permanently held a hot water bottle. Oh and my pet ground squirrel went into hibernation which they very rarely do as pets as the inside environment is meant to be warmer than the outside environment they would need to hibernate in.

Please do let me know if the information I have been given by them is wrong and I am in fact eligible.

Tally-Ho_2

skcollobcat10 wrote: »

If I was you I would check again with the housing association, you are a tenant and therefore they should be responsible for your home.

Sadly Warm Front is only available to those who meet the financial requirments (benefit wise) and either own or rent their home from a private landlord(s).

Tenants of Housing Associations and Local Authorities cannot make use of the scheme.

It is expected that LA/HA's should make their housing stock habitable and energy efficient.

Tally

zuggy

[QUOTE=fedupwiththeworry;42940996]We were accepted for a new boiler last Oct following a visit by warm front and told it could take anything from 6 weeks to 6 months to get the work done, letter rec'd in Dec stating all still going ahead. Having been told this and the fact we were told they were busy we didn't chase again until early April this year and told that the contractor had cancelled which they were unaware of until our phone call and that it was too late in the financial year to get a new contractor to do the work. Told to re-apply today but that if our situation hadn't changed then we should still be OK to get the work done.
Phoned today and told we do not now qualify, was also told that it was the Gov that cancelled the contractor back in Dec.
[/QUOTE]
DITTO ...ANYONE ELSE??? WF HAVE RENAGED ON THEIR PROMISE!!!
DITTO ...ANYONE ELSE??? WF HAVE RENAGED ON THEIR PROMISE!!!
I also called again in Nov. & was told all ok.
I could have pursued a full set of VGC discarded radiators but didn't because I thought they would not be accepted by WF.
Furthermore, the £3500 remains the same but costs will have risen!
The assessor will visit AGAIN (how much will that cost?). The WF rep's. sounded very embarassed.
I was given a card boldly stating that 'WF ALWAYS KEEP THEIR PROMISES'. I demanded to speak to management but they said it must be them calling me..that was 2 weeks ago-no call.
Defo Gov't cutbacks IMHO.