New fire, new boiler-Cost??????

Alisonsvilla

Hi
fairly new to site-so hope I'm posting in the right spot.

Mum came to my house yesterday flushed with success. She's just signed up with British Gas to have her 10 year old gas fire and back boiler removed, new fire put in and a combi boiler relocated to her back bedroom where she sleeps.

The price quoted is £4,300. This includes the price of the fire £536 and 5 years homecare which was about £500 and of course the boiler which was about £1300.

She's 79 and not quite as nimble in the brains department as she used to be. As soon as me and my daughter heard we were staggered at the price.
They are putting the new system onto 35year old radiators-I wouldn't have minded if they were putting in new radiators-although they are flushing them out!!!

What do you think?

She's signed and given them £200-but has until about Wednesday to back out.

I have rung an independent plumber and gas fitter and told him what she was having done -and before I mentioned the price-he quoted a price of £4,000.

He's calling on Monday to give his verdict.

Canucklehead

Good afternoon: You should always get 3 written quotes...your CORGI installer should itemise and be willing to explain the benefits of a particular boiler as well as any potential problems eg. pressurising 35 year old rads could reveal weaknesses in the existing pipework/rads. Compare the quotes like for like as some installers will reduce the spec to get the job.
Go with a well known boiler manufacturer and a combi with a good flow rate (especially if you like showers) long warranty period i.e. 3 or more years.
Avoid having your new boiler installed in a bedroom (potentially noisy).
If you can, go with someone who has been recommended by friends, colleagues etc. My OH, Corgi Guy, gets 95 % of his work by this method.If you can't , then visit https://www.trustcorgi.com to find an installer in your area...read through this document from the Energy Saving Trust for installation and specification requirements.
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/uploads/documents/housingbuildings/ce30.pdf

Your price sounds high for your neck of the woods.

HTH

Good luck.

Canucklehead

CLAPTON

a boiler in a bedroom can be rather noisy and is a definite turn off to buyers if she ever wanted to sell the house.
does the boiler actually need replacing?

vansboy

OK, so British Gas will be more expensive, but at least she'll have more piece of mind, than buying from an independent installer - guess that's why she went for the Homecare part of the deal.

A couple of things, come to mind,

Has she got ALL entitlements available, I'm sure more Moneysavers will point in the right direction. We hear so much about elderly people missing out, so you might find some £$£$ is available from somewhere!

& has she got ALL the discounts/offers from BG - check https://www.house.co.uk they also have £$£$ for older boiler 'part exchange' deals.

Also they have good deals on insulation for her house, too.

Well worth looking a bit deeper!

VB

Canucklehead

OK, so British Gas will be more expensive, but at least she'll have more piece of mind, than buying from an independent installer - guess that's why she went for the Homecare part of the deal.

Have to disagree on this point...if the new boiler is properly installed and commissioned per manufacturer's instructions, the system powerflushed with a name brand central heating cleanser eg. Sentinel or Fernox, filled with inhibitor, the Benchmark Log book completed , the installation notified to under Building Regs by an experienced CORGI registered installer, the appliance itself covered by a good warranty period (eg. Alpha 5 years) and the boiler given an annual service (cost varies according to where you live) you should be ahead of the game. There have been an avalanche of posts on MSE and news stories elsewhere about BG. Independent gas engineers can provide excellent service.

HTH

Canucklehead

vansboy

Canucklehead, I know exactly what you're saying, I certainly didn't mean to imply that the independent installer wouldn't/couldn't provide a good back up service.

In fact we chose the independent route ourselves, several times!

What I meant to say, if it didn't read right, was that this elderly lady WOULD have piece of mind, by buying from 'the gas board', or how she possibly would think British Gas to be!

Hope that's clarified it!

VB

mike_the_bike_2

..I say this in all seriousness..British Gas (American owned by Centrica) would be last on my list if I was getting a new boiler...You will end up paying twice the price of getting an independent to do it and basically will get ripped off..They sub contract anyway..

Get an independent Corgi registered installer in..If you really are into British Gas you can always take a maintenence contact out with them afterwards..although I wouldn't recommend that either but each to their own...