Official Free Boilers and Insulation guide discussion

clippy_girl

fist101 wrote: »

called British Gas about free loft insulation (The offer’s available to those with a suitable home until 31 May) but appointments not until mid JULY???

i called today and am having a survey on 13th may guess it depends on availability and demand in each area

shaneybaby55

pippin18 wrote: »

Anyway today (3rd April) British gas surveyor came out... he said hes recommending we get a new free boiler as we are a grade 1 - having 2 children, no heating or hot water. He said although our boiler is 21 years old and not working it would be classed as a grade D efficiency. He said according to the calculations we would only be saving £28 a year, which he said was rubbish, he also said he was pretty confident that we would not have to pay anything towards the boiler but couldnt guarantee it. He said you will get a call from an installer and your boiler should be fitted in the next 2 weeks! He had a call from an installer while he was still at our house and they were going to fit a boiler for a customer who's house he had surveyed last week! He said because we were without heat and hot water ours would be quick too as we were priority. So watch this space!!!! Is it all too good to be true??

Seems strange as British Gas sent out a surveyor, we chased them up a week later, was informed that they'll let us know an installation date, when the installer informs them. A week later we chased them up again, they were about to give us an installation date then the guy turned around and said oh there seems to be a problem your boiler is D rated we only fit boilers to replace E,F and G rated boilers. So pippin18 I'd double check as you could be wasting your time like us, as our boiler packed up and was condemned by a gas engineer, so we have no hot water or heating for 4 weeks and have two young girls.


EDF told us from the start over the phone, that they would not install a boiler as they only change E,F and G rated boilers. It all seems one massive con, that these big companies send out a surveyor only for all this work to be done and weeks later be told that as we have a D rated boiler we don't qualify. We told them over the phone at the start what boiler we had, so why did the surveyor come out, why could they not say from the start sorry but your boiler is D rated and we do not change them? I would not be surprised that the big companies are cashing in by sending out their surveyors to do these surveys knowing full well like in our case that there is no chance that we would be successful in getting our broken boiler replaced, where as it is government funded they are charging a fair bit for the surveyors work. To me they are using this to line their own pockets and the money is not really being funded to it's maximum potential, for those that really need it. How else can you explain why they send someone out and weeks later be told no sorry, when like EDF they tell you from the very first phone call.


Anyone with a D rated boiler had any luck? Anyone in the Devon area had any luck?

pippin18

shaneybaby55 wrote: »

Seems strange as British Gas sent out a surveyor, we chased them up a week later, was informed that they'll let us know an installation date, when the installer informs them. A week later we chased them up again, they were about to give us an installation date then the guy turned around and said oh there seems to be a problem your boiler is D rated we only fit boilers to replace E,F and G rated boilers. So pippin18 I'd double check as you could be wasting your time like us, as our boiler packed up and was condemned by a gas engineer, so we have no hot water or heating for 4 weeks and have two young girls.


EDF told us from the start over the phone, that they would not install a boiler as they only change E,F and G rated boilers. It all seems one massive con, that these big companies send out a surveyor only for all this work to be done and weeks later be told that as we have a D rated boiler we don't qualify. We told them over the phone at the start what boiler we had, so why did the surveyor come out, why could they not say from the start sorry but your boiler is D rated and we do not change them? I would not be surprised that the big companies are cashing in by sending out their surveyors to do these surveys knowing full well like in our case that there is no chance that we would be successful in getting our broken boiler replaced, where as it is government funded they are charging a fair bit for the surveyors work. To me they are using this to line their own pockets and the money is not really being funded to it's maximum potential, for those that really need it. How else can you explain why they send someone out and weeks later be told no sorry, when like EDF they tell you from the very first phone call.


Anyone with a D rated boiler had any luck? Anyone in the Devon area had any luck?[/QUOTE

Some interesting comments here! Our surveyor was pretty adamant that we would get a boiler, so yes it will be interesting to see what happens and if any one else with a D rated boiler has managed to get a replacement. In my opinion I think the scheme is all wrong, if you have a boiler that is working and you are happy with it why would you need a replacement, whereas myself and shaneybaby55 along with 100's of other people on low incomes who have no boiler/heating/hotwater cant get one? I thought the scheme was to help people like us????

As soon as I know the outcome of todays visit, as to whether we do get a free boiler or one we have to contribute to I will let you all know so WATCH THIS SPACE!

acharlesworth1991

I rang Energy Saving Trust to see if we qualify for loft insulation as advised on MSE They said they couldn't tell me and i had to go to british gas who would tell me. Did i just get the wrong person at EST

captainhindsight_2

acharlesworth1991 wrote: »

I rang Energy Saving Trust to see if we qualify for loft insulation as advised on MSE They said they couldn't tell me and i had to go to british gas who would tell me. Did i just get the wrong person at EST

EST should have told you to go to a Green Deal Provider or Green Deal Insulation Installer of your choice which can be found here and then they will arrange an assessment and the installation free of charge through ECO funding

captainhindsight_2

shaneybaby55 wrote: »

I would not be surprised that the big companies are cashing in by sending out their surveyors to do these surveys knowing full well like in our case that there is no chance that we would be successful in getting our broken boiler replaced, where as it is government funded they are charging a fair bit for the surveyors work. To me they are using this to line their own pockets and the money is not really being funded to it's maximum potential, for those that really need it. How else can you explain why they send someone out and weeks later be told no sorry, when like EDF they tell you from the very first phone call.

Just to be clear there is no 'free' money available to carry out assessments, if a company sends out an assessor and it does not go to completion they have made a loss by sending out that assessor. A installer only gets paid once a installation has been completed, companies that are doing that are just less organised than others. Trust me this is not a massive gravy train with loads of money available, an installer gets around £1500-£2000 at most to fit a boiler which is pretty tight after having to pay for assessments and so on...

OAP80wallace

captainhindsight wrote: »

EST should have told you to go to a Green Deal Provider or Green Deal Insulation Installer of your choice which can be found here and then they will arrange an assessment and the installation free of charge through ECO funding

captainhindsight, you are a gem!!! Although my boiler installation is all"done and dusted" it was a h....l of a journey and I had to fight it all the way. Being part of this forum has helped such a lot as I didn't feel i was fighting the world alone. My old boiler was a 14 year old Malvern combi which I think was only just below the energy efficiency required and I am delighted with my new Vaillant. Good luck to all the others here.:rotfl::T:j:A

cdixie

I applied for a replacement boiler last September as mine will only work for short bursts, maybe an hour in the morning and 2 hours max in the evenings. The boiler isn't manufactured anymore as its such a turkey and so parts are impossible to obtain and most engineers won't even touch it. I am a single working parent and I own my own home, but struggling to pay the mortgage, so replacing the boiler by myself would be almost impossible. When I heard that I may be eligible for a free boiler I couldn't believe my luck it just sounded too good to be true. I was told that the scheme was targeted especially for people like me and the process was so simple. I had to undergo a short telephone application, then an assessor came out to look at the house and boiler and I had to complete a paper application which all passed the eligibility test. However, when I still hadn't heard anything by January, I telephoned to be told that the potential savings a new boiler would make would not be significant enough to bother replacing it, so I fell at the last hurdle. There is no such thing as a free lunch for anyone unfortunately, and after getting my hopes up, I feel bitterly disappointed. Thank god it was a mild winter. I have been told that I could try getting a replacement under the new green deal scheme, but have been totally put off even trying and will let the boiler limp on.

captainhindsight_2

cdixie wrote: »

I applied for a replacement boiler last September as mine will only work for short bursts, maybe an hour in the morning and 2 hours max in the evenings. The boiler isn't manufactured anymore as its such a turkey and so parts are impossible to obtain and most engineers won't even touch it. I am a single working parent and I own my own home, but struggling to pay the mortgage, so replacing the boiler by myself would be almost impossible. When I heard that I may be eligible for a free boiler I couldn't believe my luck it just sounded too good to be true. I was told that the scheme was targeted especially for people like me and the process was so simple. I had to undergo a short telephone application, then an assessor came out to look at the house and boiler and I had to complete a paper application which all passed the eligibility test. However, when I still hadn't heard anything by January, I telephoned to be told that the potential savings a new boiler would make would not be significant enough to bother replacing it, so I fell at the last hurdle. There is no such thing as a free lunch for anyone unfortunately, and after getting my hopes up, I feel bitterly disappointed. Thank god it was a mild winter. I have been told that I could try getting a replacement under the new green deal scheme, but have been totally put off even trying and will let the boiler limp on.

Hi if the grant is falling short of the full cost of the install, you should be able to top it up with cash or finance. If you apply to a couple more companies and see if another company could do it for free or for a smaller contribution than this one has offered

gaz999

hi, can anyone help? contacted green deal decemberish and they sent me details of the scheme.rang several places but they either failed to respond or never turned up! .finally found an assessor that turned up and did the assessment and charged £249 plus vat (£298.80). next tried to get a provider/installer , two appointments later and no one showed. got a phone call from "vigortas" and they sent their rep. he read our assessment,then informed us that we'd been ripped off, the green deal had finished end dec 2013 and that the people who'd done the assessment were under investigation by the serious fraud squad !
what can i do next? paid by card but no faith in any other schemes