Official Free Boilers and Insulation guide discussion

Donna_mum_of_3

wishicouldaffordit wrote: »

Has anyone been asked to pay towards their installation. I have appointment all booked for installation - now I get a phone call today, legislation has changed. Everyone has to pay towards it now. We are going to have to pay between £750-£1K towards our installation. Need another survey to assess the cost. Not sure what to do now?

I've been waiting since before Christmas. I contacted a random company who put me in touch with a local fitter. People came out. Took copies of all they needed. Took measurements etc. very thorough. An engineer came on Monday. Said no problem.
Had a call today from their office saying exactly the same thing.
Government have said they have neared the end of their budget and the cost won't cover the cost. They want £474. Errrrrm. It's a free scheme. No thank you. I said the engineer was just out on Monday. What a load of absolute tosh. I've been advised to all British has instead.
So. What I want to know is.....has this scheme ran it's course or is this a scam? I'm not paying. Not a chance. Sounds very weird to me

Donna_mum_of_3

Sorry. Budget won't cover the cost.
And *call British gas*
Big fingers. Small phone grrrrr

wishicouldaffordit

Donna_mum_of_3 wrote: »

I've been waiting since before Christmas. I contacted a random company who put me in touch with a local fitter. People came out. Took copies of all they needed. Took measurements etc. very thorough. An engineer came on Monday. Said no problem.
Had a call today from their office saying exactly the same thing.
Government have said they have neared the end of their budget and the cost won't cover the cost. They want £474. Errrrrm. It's a free scheme. No thank you. I said the engineer was just out on Monday. What a load of absolute tosh. I've been advised to all British has instead.
So. What I want to know is.....has this scheme ran it's course or is this a scam? I'm not paying. Not a chance. Sounds very weird to me

do what I did - email the CEO of who is paying for it. I have had lots of feedback from E.On. First of all they said I was mistaken and there was nothing to pay, they then spoke to the MD of the installation company who denied all knowledge of any charge, and now it is with the Ombudsman apparently and I am still getting calls from E.On querying what has happened. The fitters have contacted me several times confirming installation date and how I have nothing extra to pay.

I totally agree with you - stinks of a scam. So do what I did and go higher up and ask what is going on. I still think something very dodgy was going on and I complained to the right folk and put a stop to it.

Give us a shout if you want to see the email I sent to E.On - you are welcome to see it.

Smamfer

I first applied to EON last year who told me there was a 9 month waiting list so to try some other companies,. I tried NPOWER who said they would send someone round,

The guy came round did an assessment told me i could get a new boiler but not a combi as i would have liked due to something to do with under flooring pipes etc, Im on tax credits, lone parent, privately rent . My boiler is 26 yrs old and although safe, only running at about 65% efficiency

I received some letters showed my landlord we filled them in and waited. I got a letter saying work would go ahead in November, but noone had explained exactly what work was going to happen and my landlord wanted to know, hours and hours on the phone toing and froing asking for papers etc it all got messy. Npower kept saying they had send papers out when they clearly hadnt, sent emails etc etc etc. They seemed totally incompetent. We missed the installation date as they wouldnt provide us with any paperwork. They have since been back in touch and the boiler people have met my landlord here and shown him whats going to happen. Im getting a new tank and new boiler, this is going ahead,,, hopefully on 5th Feb.... fingers crossed

angrysharks

I started the process to replace my boiler last April. Scottish and Southern were supposed to be installing it in the summer then cancelled. By November I had another installation date - they didn't show. Got another date for January and by then I said stop, I don't want it with them any more. Every person who came to my house treated me with little respect and I think this is a problem of these schemes as because we aren't paying = and because their money is guaranteed - we are not the customer and therefore not important.

I started the process again with British Gas who seemed much better and from referral in December I am having the boiler installed this week. But this is now day 3 and the job isn't finished. The house is covered in mess and they won't talk to me about the work. As I have had no paperwork I cannot be sure what they are required to do and they keep telling me "it's not my job". Today, they told me they will fit two thermostatic radiator valves but that's all they have to do. I've called British Gas and they confirmed there were 7 on the order form.

I am not being left in a confident situation about this installation and have already booked for a qualified heating engineer to come out next week to add a magnetic filter (as that's not included in the scheme) and to check the system over.

They've fitted a pipe next to my kitchen door that gets knocked when the door is opened, there's an overflow pipe flooding my garden right now and the filling around the boiler vent to outside looks like a child did it. They even filled the hole from the previous boiler (a hole at least a foot square) with just sand and cement. I have spare bricks but they'd already smeared this mess all over my wall before I could stop them. The old hole is covered indoors by the new boiler by the filling was done after the boiler was hung on the wall so I expect it's all over the back of the boiler too.

Basically, I am putting in a complaint and I wanted to let others know we do still have rights even though we're not paying for the boiler and installation. The installation company will still be paid well - and at a better rate than any of the quotes I had already got for the job before I found this scheme.

I don't even know the name of the installation company working in my house! To me, they are part of British Gas so that's where my complaint will have to go. The boss man came by on the first day, told me I was lucky to be getting a combi as he should only give me a central heating only boiler(!) and that the surveyors are often too nice to the customers. Yeah, that's the type of company we have to deal with. If I was paying for this I would not put up with it. I am a homeowner and I should not be made to feel so uncomfortable in my own home.

OAP80wallace

angrysharks wrote: »

I started the process to replace my boiler last April. Scottish and Southern were supposed to be installing it in the summer then cancelled. By November I had another installation date - they didn't show. Got another date for January and by then I said stop, I don't want it with them any more. Every person who came to my house treated me with little respect and I think this is a problem of these schemes as because we aren't paying = and because their money is guaranteed - we are not the customer and therefore not important.

I started the process again with British Gas who seemed much better and from referral in December I am having the boiler installed this week. But this is now day 3 and the job isn't finished. The house is covered in mess and they won't talk to me about the work. As I have had no paperwork I cannot be sure what they are required to do and they keep telling me "it's not my job". Today, they told me they will fit two thermostatic radiator valves but that's all they have to do. I've called British Gas and they confirmed there were 7 on the order form.

I am not being left in a confident situation about this installation and have already booked for a qualified heating engineer to come out next week to add a magnetic filter (as that's not included in the scheme) and to check the system over.

They've fitted a pipe next to my kitchen door that gets knocked when the door is opened, there's an overflow pipe flooding my garden right now and the filling around the boiler vent to outside looks like a child did it. They even filled the hole from the previous boiler (a hole at least a foot square) with just sand and cement. I have spare bricks but they'd already smeared this mess all over my wall before I could stop them. The old hole is covered indoors by the new boiler by the filling was done after the boiler was hung on the wall so I expect it's all over the back of the boiler too.

Basically, I am putting in a complaint and I wanted to let others know we do still have rights even though we're not paying for the boiler and installation. The installation company will still be paid well - and at a better rate than any of the quotes I had already got for the job before I found this scheme.

I don't even know the name of the installation company working in my house! To me, they are part of British Gas so that's where my complaint will have to go. The boss man came by on the first day, told me I was lucky to be getting a combi as he should only give me a central heating only boiler(!) and that the surveyors are often too nice to the customers. Yeah, that's the type of company we have to deal with. If I was paying for this I would not put up with it. I am a homeowner and I should not be made to feel so uncomfortable in my own home.

I wrote to my MP and the letter has gone to the Dept of Energy etc. No reply yet.. Try that. the more complaints to the top, the better.

haz25a

angrysharks wrote: »

I started the process to replace my boiler last April. Scottish and Southern were supposed to be installing it in the summer then cancelled. By November I had another installation date - they didn't show. Got another date for January and by then I said stop, I don't want it with them any more. Every person who came to my house treated me with little respect and I think this is a problem of these schemes as because we aren't paying = and because their money is guaranteed - we are not the customer and therefore not important.

I started the process again with British Gas who seemed much better and from referral in December I am having the boiler installed this week. But this is now day 3 and the job isn't finished. The house is covered in mess and they won't talk to me about the work. As I have had no paperwork I cannot be sure what they are required to do and they keep telling me "it's not my job". Today, they told me they will fit two thermostatic radiator valves but that's all they have to do. I've called British Gas and they confirmed there were 7 on the order form.

I am not being left in a confident situation about this installation and have already booked for a qualified heating engineer to come out next week to add a magnetic filter (as that's not included in the scheme) and to check the system over.

They've fitted a pipe next to my kitchen door that gets knocked when the door is opened, there's an overflow pipe flooding my garden right now and the filling around the boiler vent to outside looks like a child did it. They even filled the hole from the previous boiler (a hole at least a foot square) with just sand and cement. I have spare bricks but they'd already smeared this mess all over my wall before I could stop them. The old hole is covered indoors by the new boiler by the filling was done after the boiler was hung on the wall so I expect it's all over the back of the boiler too.

Basically, I am putting in a complaint and I wanted to let others know we do still have rights even though we're not paying for the boiler and installation. The installation company will still be paid well - and at a better rate than any of the quotes I had already got for the job before I found this scheme.

I don't even know the name of the installation company working in my house! To me, they are part of British Gas so that's where my complaint will have to go. The boss man came by on the first day, told me I was lucky to be getting a combi as he should only give me a central heating only boiler(!) and that the surveyors are often too nice to the customers. Yeah, that's the type of company we have to deal with. If I was paying for this I would not put up with it. I am a homeowner and I should not be made to feel so uncomfortable in my own home.

I also had to get my MP involved when I had my new boiler installed by BG under this scheme. BG use subcontractors under this scheme but your contract is with BG, you will get paperwork to sign once the work is completed and it should be BG paperwork.

I was also told by BG that "I was lucky to be getting a free boiler".

Contact your MP and also complain to Chris Weston at British Gas, the office is based in Staines, so if you google it that's the address you should send a recorded delivery letter to. In my experience, complaining to any other dept is a waste of time, go straight to the top. Also, let your MP know about your concerns as it is a Government based scheme.

Good Luck.

http://www.!!!!!!!!!!!!!/s.php?id=9519

haz25a

Sorry, that link didn't work. Google "Chris Weston CEO contact details". The info on the complaints process on the BG website is a waste of time.:)

angrysharks

OAP80wallace wrote: »

I wrote to my MP and the letter has gone to the Dept of Energy etc. No reply yet.. Try that. the more complaints to the top, the better.

Excellent advice, thank you.
A radiator started leaking a couple of hours after the installer left. I called the BG number I'd be left and they had no record of my boiler installation! I was first told they'd get back to me IN A FEW WEEKS but I was insistent and now someone is coming on Monday to sort the leak. I'll just keep changing the bowl under the rad until then.

angrysharks

haz25a wrote: »

I also had to get my MP involved when I had my new boiler installed by BG under this scheme. BG use subcontractors under this scheme but your contract is with BG, you will get paperwork to sign once the work is completed and it should be BG paperwork.

I was also told by BG that "I was lucky to be getting a free boiler".

Contact your MP and also complain to Chris Weston at British Gas, the office is based in Staines, so if you google it that's the address you should send a recorded delivery letter to. In my experience, complaining to any other dept is a waste of time, go straight to the top. Also, let your MP know about your concerns as it is a Government based scheme.

Good Luck.

http://www.!!!!!!!!!!!!!/s.php?id=9519

Thanks for replying. I was starting to wonder if I was being too sensitive but it seems there are a few of us who've had similar experiences. I'll add my voice to the complaints to help improve things for everyone. Thanks again.