Official Free Boilers and Insulation guide discussion

Beetlemama

I'm in this one too started way back last year, they came out in August and did the survey, he was here over an hour, in the loft and outside, took photos of everything, including my light bulbs, then I didn't hear anything for months, called them and it appears I was mislaid, so they sent another guy out in February and he just looked at the boiler and left, and today I've had an invoice for £475 before they'll do anything that also says if I want thermostats on any radiators it'll be an additional £240. I called E-on and they said since I have a heating only boiler that doesn't do the water - I don't, I have one that does heating and hot water. I'm waiting on Orion calling me back to see if there's been a mistake. I'm very disappointed, I know it was something for nothing, but in August I had all the paperwork saying it would be replaced with nothing to pay and now, if nothing changes, I can't afford to have it at all.

captainhindsight_2

Beetlemama wrote: »

I'm in this one too started way back last year, they came out in August and did the survey, he was here over an hour, in the loft and outside, took photos of everything, including my light bulbs, then I didn't hear anything for months, called them and it appears I was mislaid, so they sent another guy out in February and he just looked at the boiler and left, and today I've had an invoice for £475 before they'll do anything that also says if I want thermostats on any radiators it'll be an additional £240. I called E-on and they said since I have a heating only boiler that doesn't do the water - I don't, I have one that does heating and hot water. I'm waiting on Orion calling me back to see if there's been a mistake. I'm very disappointed, I know it was something for nothing, but in August I had all the paperwork saying it would be replaced with nothing to pay and now, if nothing changes, I can't afford to have it at all.

I would wait until April and apply again through another company, when you made your original application the grant would have covered the full cost of the install and since December the funding has gone down so does not cover the full cost but this is set to go back up in April and will hopefully mean that it will cover the full cost of the install and be free to the householder.

Smiley_Dan

I understand an occupancy assessment may be required to complement an EPC to qualify for CERO. As far as I can see this is a more detailed survey to check how our lifestyles affect the energy usage outlined in the EPC.

We are in the house all of the time. Does this make it more or less likely we'll get the work done? What effect do other measures have, e.g. absence of room thermostats or TRVs. Should we get them done before an occupancy assessment?

benmason030

Hello I've had a nightmare with a company called Tivium and given up on them and moved on to a company called 0800repair who have sent three people out to my mothers house to do an energy survey and collect the pension credit and every time I ring them they say they havn't got a energy survey or anything when I can see on the epcregister that there is one on the house completed by one of their staff. They just seem disorganized muppets, and I am starting to wonder what has happened with the documents they have collected. I have already given up on Tivium because I can see on another thread that they aren't going to do anything but has anyone had any experience with this 0800repair or can recommend good companies in the North East to get this boiler fitted.

peterth125

Hi. We had first survey done on Feb 18th 2014 and second done 1 week later. They are coming tomorrow to fit the boiler,3 thermostatic rad valves.chemical flush and magna clean filter.
The company is Northern Gas Heating based in Wolverhampton but we live in Durham area
Will report back when all fitted and let you know how it went
Peter

writeaboutnow

writeaboutnow wrote: »

Not to mention time... does this quality inspector chase up unreliable assessors or monitor their attendance rates, by any chance?!! Any proper-job assessors out there looking for work - British Gas are desperate - please, please apply!!!

Not sure if my desperate plea above had any bearing, or whether my persistence with chasing up on the phone made any difference, but the upshot of the matter is that British Gas have now come up with an assessor who is scheduled to carry out the necessary checks at my house next Wednesday I received a letter today to confirm this in writing and was also previously advised that I am categorised as a 'Grade A customer' (!) due to my broken boiler status... this means the installation process will *hopefully* take less time than it would if it wasn't kaput. Time will tell!

Anon

An independent insulation company are doing the rounds in our area offering completely free cavity wall insulation - in the past we had someone check but they said we already had it to a certain depth (Kingspan - foam on bricks or something!), but the rules have apparently changed and they can now top up further for free?

Anyway, if free means free it has to be worth doing. My question was if you went for Green Deal then I see in the guide you can get cashback for cavity wall insulation - but is that if you have to pay for it or is it possible even if installed free?

Many thanks

Anon

captainhindsight_2

Yes you can, the work is paid for by ECO but you have to have the work completed before the 1st April, see here on the right column third paragraph it says

The Government Cashback is separate to any similar
offers that may be made by Green Deal Providers.
You will not be able to claim Cashback for packages
of improvements that have a contribution from
Green Deal Communities and, from 1st April, ECO.

So you'll have to be quick.

Also you only get 50% of your contribution upto £250 for cavity insulation so if your not paying anything you won't get any cashback

writeaboutnow

I had my cavity walls insulated free this week through the Green Deal installer I was originally dealing with regarding a replacement boiler. That at least was straightforward, although I was given paperwork requiring 4 separate signatures that I wasn't given time to read and wasn't provided with a copy. I never sign anything without reading the small print normally, so I queried that I wouldn't be charged and was told payment was not required. I also asked if the work was guaranteed and was advised the office would follow-up with paperwork in the post. I didn't know about the April deadline, so at least I got one job squeezed in on time...

Ken68

I see that Age UK do Free Energy Assessments.