Time for a new boiler

macman

ollski wrote: »

Um it's not on at the moment so permanent may not be the correct term.
That 40% higher line of tripe is very tedious. Are bg typically 40% higher than the independent whose work I saw last month involving a horribly fitted ravenheat that cost 8000 boiler swap only or are they typically 40% higher than my mate who installs on a day rate of 100?. Or is there an rrp I somewhere I have yet to see?

OK, I lied. Which? did a survey on this last year which came out with a figure of 'only' 39% more for BG. So that's alright then.
Of course there are cowboy independents, that's another argument entirely.

ollski

39% more than what?, It's this mysterious baseline I'm struggling to get to grips with

MillicentBystander

Replacing an old, probably inefficient but safe and fully working boiler is rarely money saving. And i would go so far as to say having BG install you a new boiler is NEVER money saving. :eek::D

ollski

Replacing a car is not very often moneysaving, or decorating, or new clothes....guess some people also like comfort.

MillicentBystander

Looks up at site name and shakes head....

Gas_Safe

macman wrote: »

The BG '£400 off' a new boiler is like carpet or sofa prices-it's a permanent sale offer. The reality is that it's £400 of a price that is typically 40% higher than an independent GSR RGI would quote you in the first place. Don't be fooled.
It's pointless to change a reliable working boiler, it will take you 10 years to recover the cost in efficiency savings.

Spot on advice.. you wouldn't sell a classic car because a salesman told you to would you :question:

ollski

MillicentBystander wrote: »

Looks up at site name and shakes head....

You know what I mean, moneysaving is a factor in a decision it can't be the whole story. I have no agenda, I have fixed thousands but have only installed one in my life and that was in my house!

macman

ollski wrote: »

39% more than what?, It's this mysterious baseline I'm struggling to get to grips with

It's from a Which? survey in September 2012. To quote, 'we found that, on average, British Gas quotes (for installing a new boiler) were higher than independents in 11 out of 12 cases' (the survey was done on 12 different properties). 'BG quotes were, on average, 39% more expensive than the quotes from independent installers. In one case the BG quote was £2,950-more than double the £1,290 quote from the independent. In the case where the independent's quote was higher, the difference compared with BG was around £400-the same amount discounted by BG under it's boiler scrappage scheme. But, despite this sum being automatically taken off all BG quotes, it was still the most expensive in most cases'.
Tellingly, the same survey was also carried out in 2010, with the same result-39% higher.
If it's any consolation, quotes from SSE and Eon were even higher than BG.

ollski

Thanks, but surely you can clearly see that comparing one company against a cross section of thousands of businesses is pointless. Statistical measurements mean nothing. I would gladly concede you are very likely to get a better price from an independent trader but to put a figure on it is impossible.

johncarlton76

Sorry if this post is not appropriate.

But is anyone aware of a new government scheme that installs for free a new boiler to people on benefits who rent a property and have a boiler older than 2 years?

To supplement my income as a firefighter I own a few houses that meet the above criteria and wondering if I could get new boilers for my tenants?

Would be a nice thing for my tenants and for me too I suppose.