Green Deal MSE Guide Discussion

armchairathlete

I need a new central heating boiler and the idea of not stumping up for a new one but Green Dealing it seemed appealing, especially when a local CH firm suggested the idea. I had my assessment done and I'm waiting for the report.
I knew there's be a price difference between buying outright and paying via Green Deal but was taken aback by the difference. Quote from CH man was around £1200. Same boiler via the GD scheme.. £2580.
The firm was a bit surprised when I queried the difference and asked for a written quotation.
It's chilly without a boiler, but I'm not being railroaded into paying twice the price for not shelling out upfront.
More quotes required methinks!

blackcat18_2

chickof78 wrote: »

I'm trying to work my way through the green deal home improvement fund process. I want to get a new boiler (the old one is g rated and on its way out). I'm looking for a second improvement, and double glazing seems to be the best option, or replacement doors. My problem is finding a green deal registered installer that does double glazing. The main list have all installers, but they aren't broken down by category of improvement. Has anyone else managed to find a green deal installer that does double glazing? Or new doors?

Hi chickof78, apologies in advance for the long post but it's just my experience over the last couple of months. I had an assessment done just after Christmas (went with an independent company who were great) and decided that windows & doors were the best two improvements for me, however it is proving a real struggle to find a provider and/or installer.
Of all the providers I contacted only one has replied to say they could help with financing for the work I'd specified, but as I'm still not decided on whether to pay for the improvements myself, I also did an advanced search on the green deal participant register to look for just installers. It came up with 25 who covered my area (West Yorkshire) which looked promising, but when I looked into the results more thoroughly, the majority didn't offer windows & doors it was more solid wall insulation, bio mass energy, solar panels etc. and many didn't deal with individual households just business installation (as when you search for an installer it doesn't give you the option to specify home or business).
I've contacted all the other installers but only four have replied and I've only managed to get one to come out and quote but the whole time he was at my house he just tried to pressure me into getting solid wall insulation as well as the windows & doors, saying that it was a waste of time replacing them if I didn't get the internal wall insulated.
It's still early days for me so I'll keep trying, but so far it's not proving quite so straight forward as Martin's Green Deal Mythbuster led me to believe. Good luck.

cfd73

Hi. I am hoping to get a reply from either E.on or Vailant.
My elderly parents were cheated in signing up to a green deal and were told the scheme would provide them with a replacement boiler as there's was inefficient.
Following a lengthy process and visits they were accepted and eventually given an install date.
This date was then cancelled and a new date given. They waited for the installer to turn up, but no one did.
After contact with vailant they said a new boiler had been registered in our name and had been paid for
!!
Both companies now say they have nothing to do with the install !!! .... very confusing. They transfer me to a voicemail message and say they can't give any further information.
Why has the boiler been registered and paid for, but not installed?

EricDeeson

armchairathlete wrote: »

More quotes required methinks!

That's right - it seems widely believed that the few traders allowed to quote for Green Deal work charge er more than the market rates.

But are we alone in finding it impossible to obtain quotes?

We're in the West Midlands and had our assessment done a few weeks ago (£150 - also far higher than the market rate).

We looked on the Green Deal website for installers so we could get quotes, and ...
(a) ... found only four firms listed ...
(b) ... none of which is in the West Midlands ...
(c) ... and one of which is inaccessible - emails bounce back, phone isn't answered and fax doesn't work ...
(d) ... and one of the two in the North-west said they don't work in the West Midlands - after asking what jobs we wanted quotes for ...
(e) ... and neither of the other two have responded to polite emails sent five working days ago.

So we followed the Green Deal website advice and looked for "providers" who could recommend installers in the West Midlands. Only one provider is in the West Midlands of the dozen or so (if I remember rightly) listed on the GD website as working for the region. They too have not responded to our email of enquiry.

Is the whole of the scheme from start to finish a rip-off????

Cheers - Eric

captainhindsight_2

EricDeeson wrote: »

That's right - it seems widely believed that the few traders allowed to quote for Green Deal work charge er more than the market rates.

But are we alone in finding it impossible to obtain quotes?

We're in the West Midlands and had our assessment done a few weeks ago (£150 - also far higher than the market rate).

We looked on the Green Deal website for installers so we could get quotes, and ...
(a) ... found only four firms listed ...
(b) ... none of which is in the West Midlands ...
(c) ... and one of which is inaccessible - emails bounce back, phone isn't answered and fax doesn't work ...
(d) ... and one of the two in the North-west said they don't work in the West Midlands - after asking what jobs we wanted quotes for ...
(e) ... and neither of the other two have responded to polite emails sent five working days ago.

So we followed the Green Deal website advice and looked for "providers" who could recommend installers in the West Midlands. Only one provider is in the West Midlands of the dozen or so (if I remember rightly) listed on the GD website as working for the region. They too have not responded to our email of enquiry.

Is the whole of the scheme from start to finish a rip-off????

Cheers - Eric

£150 is about right for a GDAR

The problem is the green deal participants register doesn't work, I know of at least 10 green deal companies in the small town I live in in the West Midlands.

I think it is fair and obvious that green deal companies quote more for work carried out under the green deal because they have to carry out huge amounts of extra paperwork and offer considerably more consumer protection than work that is not carried out under the green deal.

I think if you try a bit harder by using Google it shouldn't be a problem to find an installer.

Aleenaaayan

Had a assessment done for £129 by British gas and was told that a engineer was booked to come to give me quote for boiler under green deal he came and said the don't deal with green deal and the whole scheme is a scam! And I want double glazing as well but the companies saying it's cheaper if you put windows in from local person yourself! Angelican said they do green deal turned up and charged me 5,000 that's with discount but no green deal! Why are they making us go round in circles I moved in new property and I want the work done I have three kids and ontop I wasted £129 for nothing? If anybody can help please could I live in West Yorkshire area

captainhindsight_2

Aleenaaayan wrote: »

Had a assessment done for £129 by British gas and was told that a engineer was booked to come to give me quote for boiler under green deal he came and said the don't deal with green deal and the whole scheme is a scam! And I want double glazing as well but the companies saying it's cheaper if you put windows in from local person yourself! Angelican said they do green deal turned up and charged me 5,000 that's with discount but no green deal! Why are they making us go round in circles I moved in new property and I want the work done I have three kids and ontop I wasted £129 for nothing? If anybody can help please could I live in West Yorkshire area

The scheme is NOT a scam, 10s of thousands of people have benefitted from it through Eco, green deal and the gdhif.

It should not be hard to find a company who can install a boiler under the green deal.

Regarding the windows, it is likely your best option if to find a local fensa registered company ask them for a quote for the work you want done they can then act as a subcontractor for a company that is registered for windows under the green deal but not cover your area. Usually for an admin fee.

EricDeeson

So that's Yorkshire as well as West Midlands where there are problems finding installers, let alone reliable, honest quotes.

Captain Hindsight on the other hand implies he's had no problem, but doesn't say which part of the country he's managed to get Green Deal work done as it should be. It's not really good enough for him to say "It should not be hard to find a company who can install a boiler under the green deal" without telling us how to do it!!! (No offence meant, Captain.)

Thanks, both - Eric

captainhindsight_2

EricDeeson wrote: »

So that's Yorkshire as well as West Midlands where there are problems finding installers, let alone reliable, honest quotes.

Captain Hindsight on the other hand implies he's had no problem, but doesn't say which part of the country he's managed to get Green Deal work done as it should be. It's not really good enough for him to say "It should not be hard to find a company who can install a boiler under the green deal" without telling us how to do it!!! (No offence meant, Captain.)

Thanks, both - Eric

Ok, I can't actually recommend any companies because I own one that does all of the above.

But all companies that are certified to do work under the green deal are listed on the green deal participants register.

However, if you use the search function for your postcode this doesnt work.

The only thing I can suggest is to use google or to go down the list and see if any are local to your self, there are over 3000 across the company so it is unlikely there is not one or even a few that cover your area.

Also it is worth calling round a couple of local/reputable/proactive companies as they may offer it but don't advertise it very well. As any company in the industry not offering work under the green deal is missing a trick.

There is a huge amount of competition in the west midlands where I am based that is why I am suggesting it shouldnt be a problem finding a company.

EricDeeson

That's EXtremely useful, Captain - many thanks. I also appreciate your honesty and wish to avoid conflict of interest.

Please let me have the w-address of the green deal participants register that you mention: it clearly differs from the one I found on the Green Deal main website which, as I say, lists only four installers for the West Midlands, none of which are in the West Midlands, and only eight or ten "providers", only one of which is in the region!

Many thanks again - Eric