Official Free Boilers and Insulation guide discussion

the_matrix

MSE_Jenny wrote: »

Hi all,

We've written a new guide on Free Boilers and Insulation, and it would be great to hear your feedback. Please do share your experiences and any extra tips to help others.

If you applied for a free boiler, please let us know ...

- Which energy provider you called:
- How long it took to get a free inspection:
- Were you asked to contribute towards anything and why (for example extra radiators, the boiler needed moving, you didn't meet certain conditions):
- How long it took to the get the boiler installed:
- How you found the experience:

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.

Thanks for your help,

MSE Jenny

Looks good. Reads well.

Not much in article on solid wall insulation even though many houses in my area seem to be getting a grant for it.

swift1_2

Hi,

Some good knowledge on this thread. I applied for my mother who is a pensioner and getting the pension credit via her energy company M&S Energy (which is SSE) at the start of Nov 2013. We haven't heard anything since. No assessor has written to us with a date to visit.

What I would like to know, this all seems to be dedicated to boilers, but what if your boiler is ok (she had it replaced under the warm front scheme in 2006), but the radiators and pipework is a mess (the WF scheme only replaced the boiler and didn't touch the radiator and pipework even though they needed upgrading). The house barely gets warm, the pipes are really thin (not like the thick pipes you get now), the radiators are really old don't really get hot. The house needs more radiators and the existing ones replacing with ones that give out more heat along with the pipework upgrading.

Its a big job and she can no way afford it. I normally try and help out, but I'm struggling to stay afloat myself.

Any advice.

Realgonekid1969

Hi

Sorted my mothers house with a new boiler under the affordable warmth obligation, she is on pension credit so qualified for a free boiler. However NPower's service in getting it sorted was the worst I've ever experienced. It has taken six months and endless calls. I did ask about radiator and TRV replacement but was told this was not part of the deal.

Finally this week they have declined to upgrade her loft insulation, because she has LESS than 100mm of existing insulation. I kind've saw this coming and had a British Gas survey which gave the same result. It's still hard to believe that she is penalised for already having some form of insulation.

It would be useful for MSE to add this criteria to their page somewhere. Or does anyone else know if any of the suppliers or other parties to the scheme will provide free insulation without this requirement. As of yet I haven't been able to find it written down anywhere and even ringing the energy saving trust helpline I found them to be a bit clueless about it. They just wanted to pass her name onto the other providers that I had not approached to see whether they would interpret it differently. Who exactly is running this fiasco?

OAP80wallace

Glad to say that an engineer from Vaillant came this morning after Swale Heating had been back twice and said the intermittent clicking was 'probably' expansion but I needed a definitive answer as I didn't want repair bills further down the line. The Vaillant man was very thorough, doing various tests and confirmed that it was expansion. I am now satisfied and a very happy bunny. Will now write to Swale and also ask for their calculations as to how they arrived at the figure of £280 which I was asked to pay. Then I will write and educate my MP on the scheme. Happy Days.

FreezingWarm

Realgonekid1969 wrote: »

Hi

Sorted my mothers house with a new boiler under the affordable warmth obligation, she is on pension credit so qualified for a free boiler. However NPower's service in getting it sorted was the worst I've ever experienced. It has taken six months and endless calls. I did ask about radiator and TRV replacement but was told this was not part of the deal.

Finally this week they have declined to upgrade her loft insulation, because she has LESS than 100mm of existing insulation. I kind've saw this coming and had a British Gas survey which gave the same result. It's still hard to believe that she is penalised for already having some form of insulation.

It would be useful for MSE to add this criteria to their page somewhere. Or does anyone else know if any of the suppliers or other parties to the scheme will provide free insulation without this requirement. As of yet I haven't been able to find it written down anywhere and even ringing the energy saving trust helpline I found them to be a bit clueless about it. They just wanted to pass her name onto the other providers that I had not approached to see whether they would interpret it differently. Who exactly is running this fiasco?

Loft & Cavity Insulation is on a case by case basis under ECO Obligation. If the savings to the property are not cost effective, energy suppliers won't upgrade existing insulation. You could have 100mm+ of existing insulation, but have a 100m detached bungalow. This would probably be insulated as the savings are rather vast.

Hope this helps.

discussdiscus

Thank You for that information, as neither Carillion, or Scottish & Southern have been in-touch by phone or post since the first cancellation phone message.
I applied in late June or early July for the free boiler scheme.
My Boiler Is a Thorn M 56/76 fitted over 33years ago.
This lack of information is doing my Head In. Thanks once more.

Babycakes

Under the ECO scheme, some homes are eligible for free cavity wall insulation.

As my home was built after 1983, my EPC assumes that I have cavity wall insulation. I have had a borescope carried out and in fact my cavity walls are unfilled.

When I call up any energy company like British Gas, they are refusing to even come out to my property to survey it because they say that the EPC does not recommend it because it is assumed to be filled by the EPC.

So I am stuck - can anyone offer any advice as to how I can get a grant to carry out the work?

OAP80wallace

discussdiscus wrote: »

Thank You for that information, as neither Carillion, or Scottish & Southern have been in-touch by phone or post since the first cancellation phone message.
I applied in late June or early July for the free boiler scheme.
My Boiler Is a Thorn M 56/76 fitted over 33years ago.
This lack of information is doing my Head In. Thanks once more.

Hi, Discussediscus, Just be cussed and, hang on in there. Try other suppliers. It's a battle. You can win this!!! I know it is not about us, the householder, but this silly "Global Warming....oops, it isn't, lets call it Climate Change agenda. Its the new secular religion but " Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts "(Richard Feynman)
Never mind, just make sure you benefit from it.

OAP80wallace

Realgonekid1969 wrote: »

Hi

Sorted my mothers house with a new boiler under the affordable warmth obligation, she is on pension credit so qualified for a free boiler. However NPower's service in getting it sorted was the worst I've ever experienced. It has taken six months and endless calls. I did ask about radiator and TRV replacement but was told this was not part of the deal.

Finally this week they have declined to upgrade her loft insulation, because she has LESS than 100mm of existing insulation. I kind've saw this coming and had a British Gas survey which gave the same result. It's still hard to believe that she is penalised for already having some form of insulation.

It would be useful for MSE to add this criteria to their page somewhere. Or does anyone else know if any of the suppliers or other parties to the scheme will provide free insulation without this requirement. As of yet I haven't been able to find it written down anywhere and even ringing the energy saving trust helpline I found them to be a bit clueless about it. They just wanted to pass her name onto the other providers that I had not approached to see whether they would interpret it differently. Who exactly is running this fiasco?

I had my loft insulation checked a couple of years ago. It was just an inch short of the 11 inches recommended. (only use metric for measuring up kitchens and mixing glazes for pottery) They said it wasn't worth doing and I agree.

Billyhosepipe

Hi all,

Like most families these days money is tight, both of us have full time jobs, not in receipt of any of the benefits required to get a free system and our boiler is very inefficient. We cannot afford several thousands of ££s installing a new system, is there any assistance available from anywhere to help couples with our own home to be able to afford a replacement ?

Any help and advice gratefully received.

Thank you.