Official Free Boilers and Insulation guide discussion

angrysharks

discussdiscus wrote: »

Last Friday at just after 2PM I was phoned by Carillion energy services, who do the free boiler service for Scottish and Southern, to tell me that the boiler that was to fitted today 11th Feb, Has Been Canceled. They told me that Scottish and Southern had just told them that the free boiler scheme had been stopped, and gave me a phone number to wring 08009752852. Rang them on Fri about 3pm and was told that they did not know what was going on, but would ring me back. I rang them on Mon and told just about the same thing but added that as far as he knew the scheme had not been canceled.
So Tues the boiler fitting day, So the fitter didn't arrive (there was a hope). So did the same again Carillion I told them what I had been told on Mon, they said the scheme was deferential canceled. So rang Scottish and Southern and was told by them that what Carillion told me seemed to be correct. So as far as I can see the FREE BOILER scheme as far as Scottish and Southern is DEAD.

I would like to Know if the rest have stopped it the same

I've just spoken to Scottish & Southern and they haven't stopped the scheme but they have stopped working with Carillion. Best advice is contact the Energy Saving Trust: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/ and get reassessed and start the application again. You can choose another energy supplier; you have a choice. Good luck.

GDADEA

rafthorney wrote: »

Yes,not even sure I would get one now due to the G rating some one else mentioned,i think mine is 70% efficient despite being 20 years old.I just can,t be bothered with the hassle,if they,d made it simple,then no problem.
Why does an energy assessor need to take photos of all your docs and then lose them? I think a simple check list would have been better.Ive not a lot of money but I,ll just save for one.

To get a free boiler the existing boiler must be below 86% efficient so basically any non condensing boiler will qualify.

And we need to take pictures of documents because that is what Ofgem require as proof of eligibility, nothing sinister, just their requirements, which the DEA has to adhere to.

The big problem you will find at the minute is getting a company who still have funding available, ours was pulled a week ago, till at least April. Good luck

GDADEA

mobile73 wrote: »

Hi, its not a granny flat. She is the sole occupant of the property. Its just that for various reasons we purchased the property for her to live in.

Does seem strange that if she was paying me rent would be eligible.

She would qualify, but you would need to do an informal tenancy agreement with her and both sign a form, you as landlord, her as tenant.

angrysharks

GDA/DEA wrote: »

The big problem you will find at the minute is getting a company who still have funding available, ours was pulled a week ago, till at least April. Good luck

I reckon you should contact the Energy Saving Trust: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/ and get reassessed and start the application again as I've spoken to two of the big energy companies this week and both confirmed the scheme has not come to an end, nor has funding run out until April. Once assessed over the phone, the Energy Saving Trust has let you know which energy companies are currently offering the scheme and then you can choose. Good luck!

GSL2013

A company called Eclipse Energy still have access to funding for under efficient boilers, give them a try.

OAP80wallace

discussdiscus wrote: »

Last Friday at just after 2PM I was phoned by Carillion energy services, who do the free boiler service for Scottish and Southern, to tell me that the boiler that was to fitted today 11th Feb, Has Been Canceled. They told me that Scottish and Southern had just told them that the free boiler scheme had been stopped, and gave me a phone number to wring 08009752852. Rang them on Fri about 3pm and was told that they did not know what was going on, but would ring me back. I rang them on Mon and told just about the same thing but added that as far as he knew the scheme had not been canceled.
So Tues the boiler fitting day, So the fitter didn't arrive (there was a hope). So did the same again Carillion I told them what I had been told on Mon, they said the scheme was deferential canceled. So rang Scottish and Southern and was told by them that what Carillion told me seemed to be correct. So as far as I can see the FREE BOILER scheme as far as Scottish and Southern is DEAD.

I would like to know if the rest have stopped it the same

This whole scheme is a complete shambles and no matter who you consult, it seems impossible to get a straight answer. My MP advised me to phone the Energy Savings Trust and they didn't know what I was talking about! I have been trying to be heard by SSE and Swale Heating since last October re a clicking boiler and a torn ceiling paper and at last, a breakthrough. David Stewart of SSE on 0800 0483511 phoned on Fri to help sort things out at last. Many people here, like me have been asked to contribute money and it hasn't been made clear why or what for. According to Steve Saunders of Swale, who phoned the very next day, no doubt chased up by SSE, it is a calculation done between the old and new boiler and what I will save in 12 years,,,,,,,or something like that. Clear as mud. I shall keep on until I see it in writing. I told him no-one on this Forum had ever mentioned that. There is a distinct lack of paper and explanations and that is not good enough. I still await a reply from the Energy Dept via my MP.
Swale have been twice now to listen to the intermittent clicking of my boiler and think it is probably expansion but after the trouble I have had I have contacted Vaillant. I want a definite answer.
All a great scheme but a shambles. Hard on the nerves I know, but just keep on at them. Try another Energy Co. Good Luck.

OAP80wallace

captainhindsight wrote: »

A lot of the information here is just wrong!!

The 'free boiler and insulation' is paid for by the big six energy companies.

If you want to have a free boiler or free insulation you have to go to a green deal installer (if you go to one of the energy suppliers they just pass you details onto a local green deal installer) so its quicker to just go direct to a green deal installer.

The green deal installer then has an EPC carried out on the property and collects evidence of you eligibility (i.e. pension credit, child tax credit... etc.)

The EPC is then used to calculate the annual savings that would be made by fitting the new boiler, the figure is then calculated by the life time of the boiler (12 years is the figure that is used). This 'lifetime savings' figure is then multiplied by the payment rate which varies month to month.

As an example a house having a non condensing boiler replaced with a condensing combi has an annual saving of 1000 multiplied by 12 years = 12000. This figure is then multiplied by the current rate say 12pence so this would equal £1440 payable to the installer.

These figures are just to illustrate the calculation and they obviously vary depending on individual properties and what the current rate is the energy companies are paying.

So if the end amount payable to the installer is less than the amount it will cost to fit the boiler they will ask you the householder for a contribution to cover their costs and if the amount is more than the cost of the installation their quids in.

So the more amount of energy that can be saved the better for the installer (more profit) and better for the householder (get the boiler completely free)

So this is why some people have to make a contribution and other don't, and if you want the job done quickly and efficiently just go on to the Green Deal Participants register and contact a couple of local green deal installers and see who can do it the quickest.

At last, a clue as to why we who qualify for a free boiler have different amounts to pay. Why has it been such a secret? Do they think we are too stupid to understand?
You seem to be confusing the Green Deal and the free Boiler scheme. The former is all paid for by the householder over a number of years and at a % on the money borrowed. Thanks anyway. I intend to get those energy calculations in writing. What does EPC stand for?

OAP80wallace

captainhindsight wrote: »

The way you originally asked your question didn't make it clear that some one had specifically told you it would cost you £1,500.

The way I understood your question was that someone had said it would cost £1500 in passing and you had understood that to mean it would cost you £1500

The person who told you that the scheme had changed is completely wrong!

It hasn't changed in perspective to the installer and customer relationship, the scheme has just been extended over a longer period of time until 2017 so the same amount of money circa 3.2bn is now spread over 4 years instead of the original 2 years to help reduce the annual green levy on customers of the big six energy suppliers energy bills.

This change had obviously meant there is less money available per year which meant that funding was scaled back meaning that lots of installers pulled out of installations because of the funding being scaled down.

So companies that had made commitments to customers like your self instead of just waiting until they got the funding they just tried their luck to see if you would pay the full amount for the boiler install.

It wouldn't surprise me if lots of people did just pay up.

You seem to be very knowledgeable. Are you from the Energy industry? If not, do tell the rest of us where you get the info. from, as we are being kept in the dark. I have been fighting the system since October. I have been to my MP, Energy Saving Trust, (who thought I was talking about the Green Deal and had never heard of the free boilers) Citizens advice, sent recorded letters emails, phoned, all to no avail until last week when I had a breakthrough and David Stewart phoned me from SSE. Hope to have all the problems sorted any day soon, but won't hold my breath. It has taken a lot of my time since October but I will get there.

Ken68

Lots on You and Yours today.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qps9

captainhindsight_2

Yes OAP80wallace I run a small business that installs 'free boilers' and other measures so I have quite a insight.

I have been unable to get any information from the funders, just that their is no funding available and the You and Yours program explained a lot to me.

On the program it said the current rate they are paying is 7pence, so for me to be able to claim say £1500 to cover the cost of a basic install the life time saving score would have to equal 1786 which is almost double what most properties have.

In my experience most properties have a life time saving score of around 1000 and at the current rate of 7pence this would only pay £840 which is obviously not going to cover the costs of the install.

And like the person on the program said, most people don't require a basic install. A lot of people have old gravity fed systems and back boilers which require much more work and materials.

I believe ECO is a good scheme and helps lots of vulnerable people and it needs peoples support to put pressure on the big six energy companies to pay a much higher rate so vulnerable people on fuel poverty can benefit from the scheme.