Beware of EON/Dyson Heating Services `Free' Boiler ECO/Affordable Warmth scheme!

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi girlywurly

Sorry for the late reply. Not been around much recently.

I'm also sorry you're still waiting for the result of the boiler assessment at your home.

Each application is considered on an individual basis. This is done by a specialist team who deal exclusively with ECO/Affordable Warmth applications.

If you drop an email to the address in my Profile, I'll be happy to talk to this team and see where they're at with your particular application.

Can't promise I can speed things up but happy to take a look.

Malc

alex_bisgrove

I've heard that the free boilers scheme is not available for people who live in flats, is this correct and is this from all the suppliers in the scheme or do different suppliers have different quotas

C_Mababejive

I think the whole affordable warmth/Eco bolier scheme should be ditched. I have no desire to subsidise other peoples comfort via my energy bills. When i sign up for energy accounts i want a tick box to opt out of such schemes. Whilst other people are warming their collective backsides, many other hard working and non qualifying people are having to pay for it all AND cut back.
There is widespread abuse going on.

Landlords are getting their properties upgraded for free by having qualifying tenants

Wealthy people with mercs and beemers on their drives are getting their homes upgraded by borrowing their old granny.

Companies are throwing in systems en masse with bodged work and substituting el cheapo poorly rated boilers such as ideal logics instead of vaillants which cost more.

Older people who were quite happy with their gas fire are being conned into having whole house heating when they dont have the money to pay the ensuing gas bills.

NHGREENLTD

diana_1986 wrote: »

Hi, What make boiler did they fit in your house? I tried to get on the free boiler scheme, i was eligable for one but later cancelled, reasons were dyson came over twice took loads of photos of my house, boilers, meter cupboards, and of my personal details, ie photos of my benefit letters, mortgage letter and lots more. I found out that they only fit ideal logic boilers which are very unreliable, also they would have to cut a big hole in my kitchen and wouldnt be able to brick match so would just fill up the hole and that any damage they make in your home they are not responsible for. I am going to apply again through british gas who have said they wouldnt touch ideal logic boilers with a barge pole. So hopefully they can fit another well known make, otherwise i will keep my old boiler only 2 breakdowns in 20yrs.

Hi, Just because British Gas say something doesnt mean it is correct, I have been in the gas industry installing and repairing for over 10 years now. All i used to install was Worcester Bosch boilers, after having no end of problems as all internal valving parts slowly changed to plastic. Plastic parts were constantly splitting and covering all electrical components with water therefore blowing the circuit boards. Because of this I switched to the Ideal logic plus with all brass parts. Since installing these from when they were first brought out i haven't yet had one problem with any of them. Dont get me wrong, the previous Ideal Boilers were the worst you could buy, but the new logic plus was brought out to rival the Worcester and improve there reputation which I believe it has done. Customers only ever here Worcester Bosch and British Gas, neither of these companies are no longer British owned. If you have ever had a quote from British Gas you will know that they are ridiculously expensive, if a local tradesman gave you those prices you would be calling him a cowboy yet you seem to accept it because they are so called British Gas (who are actually Canadian) they seem to think of a price and then triple it. it just amazes me that people are stupid enough to accept there quotes.

azurepurple

Reponse to gartshore. As a previous customer of the scheme who encountered many difficulties I agree I was "one sided" in the same way you are as an employee of Dyson. The hard facts in my case were simply that from the outset the Energy Savings Trust had confirmed & later reiterated, upon my repeated questioning and initial apprehension that the scheme was 100% most definitely free. I never at any point in the documents I was provided with and added my signature to saw anything to the contrary, until Dyson verbally suggested otherwise, immediately before the installation was due to proceed as to the likelihood of these very vague "additional works"( which altered dependant on who I spoke with, in terms of the charges incurred) I was cynical of this as I am sure you would also be in my position. Terms and conditions & small print are something I tend to read very carefully.

I must also point out that after my previous posts we also encountered more serious problems, following the completed installation by the Dyson Engineers to which I never updated on here. All the radiators in our house failed to work after the fitting of the new pressurised boiler, despite the original Engineers signing to say they were in working order before they left! The bathroom radiator was damaged in the installation and the Engineer "forgot" to pass this on to his Managers as I had signed and asked him to do. Fittings were left behind under carpets and our house was left in a terrible state.

Fortunately Malc from here(EON Representative) and an extremely helpful lady at EON rectified all and every one of our problems in the end and kept us up to date with the situation by phone and in e-mail. We promptly had an extremely helpful and knowledgeable new engineer as well as new assessor also from Dyson who confirmed the installation by their original engineers was indeed DEFECTIVE. Malc from here and the lady who helped us at EON were fantastic and put right everything in the end. I must point out we were extremely grateful, despite the problems along the way for their input and accepted their sincere apologies at that time as ultimately everything worked out to our advantage and benefitting our family.

To C-mababejive. I'm sorry but I don't agree with your comments. The Energy Companies Obligation scheme is about the hugely profitable Energy Companies themselves giving something back to customers most in need and not you yourself or other bill payers subsidising others. Unless you happen to be David Cameron or his neighbour I think it's safe to assume everyone is and has to make cutbacks due to the ridiculously excessively high costs of gas & electricity, even us that dare I say it actually benefitted from this scheme. Also we are hard working incidentally and certainly not siting warming our collective backsides! If an older person receives a more effective heating system than an inadequate & expensive gas fire that they would pay way more for to the said Energy Companies then I believe this is fantastic. Older persons should be protected and I was brought up to respect my elders. I am happy to think the affordable warmth scheme/ECO scheme helps some older people as it doesn't bare thinking about what could happen to those that it doesn't during a cold winter.

allan1972

I also applied for this eco warmth scheme twice now and been fobbed off twice, I first contacted B&Q and was quoted £1129 as extra cost as my carbon rating did not cover the full cost but no mention of any problems with new pipe work, I then applied to Npower who have said I can get the free boiler but the installer wont do the job or even quoted a price for the job as it need full new copper piping and copper piping only as the boiler does not work with any other type of piping and the scheme is boiler only.

So I look to have a situation were my piping is 15mm but need 22mm, not 100% sure what is going on anymore, why offer new boiler when they know 15mm piping is not the standard anymore.

B&Q are sending out the details of the quote but npower refused to release any other details other than no,does anyone know a company that can do the pipework as I am willing to pay for the pipework within reason, EON, Sottish Power etc.

So far it all looks like a farce

Zak783

Last year we applied for the free Boiler Scheme through Dyson. We met the requirements and had the survey carried out. At no point were we ever told there could be additional charges. A week before the installation we received an invoice for over £325. I phoned and ask for an explanation and they said it was for additional work to be carried out.

I asked why none of this was ever mentioned. In the end we could not afford to pay that amount. We just decided not to go ahead.

We were then contacted by Helfpful Heating another company who work under the Eco FREE BOILER SCHEME. I explained all the hassle with Dyson and ask them to confirm there would be no hidden charges and was advised there would be none.

There representative came out and looked at our paperwork and said we qualified. That was in October and we had not had any contact until today we received a letter stating that they would not be dealing with our application anymore and it had been passed to vaillant.

With no contact number for Vailllant. Finally got the number for Vaillant and constantly in a queue. Emailed them and no response. We never even had a survey done with Helpful Heating. It has been an joke from start to finish.

I have just phoned Helpful Heating and ask them for a contact number for Vaillant which they did not have. I ask them why I have had no contact in over 3 months. I asked to speak to a manager and they would not come on the phone to speak to me.

I have never known anything like this. I am really frustrated with these companies who are meant to help you and all we are left with is utter frustration.

Zak

gartshore wrote: »

I would like to point out that I work for Dyson I am not in any way a spokesman for the company but a few points made in this thread seem a bit one sided , first of all Ideal boilers , i worked on a contract with a previous company at the beginning of the year we where fitting 105 ideal logic boilers a week I was involved with that level of installation numbers for several months they had been fitting forty boilers a week for months before that in total 1500 boilers installed they never once had to call out an engineer, i would take anything you read about them with a pinch of salt , the contributions to installation the utility companies do provide funding for free boiler installation it is worked out the basis that one boiler is changed for another the extra cost of additional works outwith that is not covered in the funding that is why customers are sent out an estimate of the cost in advance of the job it is the same rule for all companies mostly it is regarding undersized gas pipes or say the customer wants there boiler repositioned , if you go into the garage to have your clutch changed then they tell you the gearbox needs replaced would you expect them to it you a free gearbox , I understand where people are coming from on the previous posts if anyone wants any advice on eco installation feel free to post and I will do my best to help.

Zak783

ear we applied for the free Boiler Scheme through Dyson. We met the requirements and had the survey carried out. At no point were we ever told there could be additional charges. A week before the installation we received an invoice for over £325. I phoned and ask for an explanation and they said it was for additional work to be carried out.

I asked why none of this was ever mentioned. In the end we could not afford to pay that amount. We just decided not to go ahead.

We were then contacted by Helfpful Heating another company who work under the Eco FREE BOILER SCHEME. I explained all the hassle with Dyson and ask them to confirm there would be no hidden charges and was advised there would be none.

There representative came out and looked at our paperwork and said we qualified. That was in October and we had not had any contact until today we received a letter stating that they would not be dealing with our application anymore and it had been passed to vaillant.

With no contact number for Vailllant. Finally got the number for Vaillant and constantly in a queue. Emailed them and no response. We never even had a survey done with Helpful Heating. It has been an joke from start to finish.

I have just phoned Helpful Heating and ask them for a contact number for Vaillant which they did not have. I ask them why I have had no contact in over 3 months. I asked to speak to a manager and they would not come on the phone to speak to me.

I have never known anything like this. I am really frustrated with these companies who are meant to help you and all we are left with is utter frustration.

zAK

Emmab77

Hi,
I have also applied for my mother who receives pension credit. We live in an area without gas and mum has an oil boiler. Eon are the only company that offer the scheme for oil boilers. After 3 no-shows from the company booked(plumb line of Northamptonshire-we live in lincolnshire) they arranged for a local guy to assess the boiler. Apparently it is 20 years old so we definitely qualify.
We eventually receive a quote from eon saying the cost is £4500 and they are willing to pay 51% of this cost, leaving my mother to pay £2200 approx. the reason she is on pension credit is that she doesn't have a lot of spare cash! Spoke to eon who said they would try and get a cheaper quote. This was back in January. Boiler has now broken down, leak fixed by local engineer who gave us a quote to change the boiler of £2800! £1900 for the boiler and flue, and around £900 for fitting/flushing etc.
The boiler is now working on and off so I chased eon again, they spoke to a manager who said the plumb line quote is the only one they can get. I requested a breakdown of the quote, was told to ring Plumb Line. They told me they couldn't give me the breakdown, it had to be eon. Eventually got the quote from eon, gives indication of the boiler type ( similar cost when I look on the net to the other engineers quote), but doesn't give a cost for each line, just a cost at the bottom.
My question is do you think eon are ripping my mum off? It's obviously £600 cheaper in the long run, but something feels a little cloak and dagger about the whole thing and I am not sure what to do.
Any help would be really welcome
Emma

Emmab77

Please, can anyone help? They are chasing for payment now and I am not sure what to do, could really do with some advice
Thanks
Emma