Official Free Boilers and Insulation guide discussion

mybrainismissing

I called Southern Electric In October 2013 to apply for a new boiler via the Free Boiler Scheme. I received a letter back saying that they would send someone to assess my boiler in the next six weeks. We are now in July 2014 and I still haven't had that assessment. I have been chasing them up and they say they are very busy and someone will be out in August to assess the boiler.

In the meantime I have had a heating engineer in to replace the control panel and he was saying that funding had been cut for the scheme so I probably won't get a new boiler anyway. Is that true?

chris1

mybrainismissing wrote: »

I called Southern Electric In October 2013 to apply for a new boiler via the Free Boiler Scheme. I received a letter back saying that they would send someone to assess my boiler in the next six weeks. We are now in July 2014 and I still haven't had that assessment. I have been chasing them up and they say they are very busy and someone will be out in August to assess the boiler.

In the meantime I have had a heating engineer in to replace the control panel and he was saying that funding had been cut for the scheme so I probably won't get a new boiler anyway. Is that true?

NPower and SSE are still doing the free boiler scheme, have you tried them?

greatuncle

I read that those on Pension Credit could get a free boiler replacement so I applied to nPower to see if I could get one. My existing Glo-Worm boiler is over 30 years old. It still works fine but every time it is serviced the engineer warns me that spare parts may not be available anymore if anything goes wrong.
So nPower arranged for someone to come and do an energy-efficiency survey of my house. They recommended increasing the loft insulation and installation of a new boiler. So far so good. Then they sent an engineer to look at the boiler and heating system. He recommended a combi-boiler to simplify the installation and didn`t mention any reason why it couldn`t be done "within about 4 weeks". Two weeks later nPower `phoned to tell me the saving in greenhouse gas emissions and fuel savings were not enough to justify them paying for a replacement boiler.
My house is a two bedroom end terrace, built 1984, 5 radiators, nothing out of the ordinary about it. But it doesn`t qualify. But they did tell me they could do it if I paid a contribution to the cost. Having got me in the mind-set of replacing the old boiler they then turned it down, perhaps thinking I would say "oh, alright then" so they wouldn`t have to pay out as much. If my house doesn`t qualify, the hundreds of thousands of similar homes won`t either.
British Gas evidently won`t offer free boilers anymore.
Anyone else been led up the proverbial garden path?

Richie-from-the-Boro

Goldie1977 wrote: »

I've just a a guy call round my house with apparently a completely FREE offer for external wall insulation! I think it's too good to be true and therefore it probably is!! However, I'd like to get other peoples views or whether other people have heard of this company and what (if any) the catch is.

His claim:

The gov will provide up to 75% or up to £6,000 towards the cost of work. This company - Save Britain Money Energy Services - will then pay the remaining 25% to complete the work. The house is effectively "wrapped" in layer of insulation attached to the outside of the home, covered with a protective mesh and then rendered from a wide choice of colours and finishes.

Is it possible for this to be free to me? Is it that the gov's "green programs" force the companies to do this and thus that's why it's free? Or is it more likely that the total cost is much more than the £6,000 + whatever the company are willing to contribute and I have to pay the rest / balance?

Your thoughts / knowledge would be very welcomed!!

Two companies that make up part of the Save Britain Money group, owned by reality television personality Nev Wilshire, have been placed into administration

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) issued penalties to Nationwide Energy Services of £125,000 and to We Claim You Gain of £100,000


NES only arrange Grants, they don't do any installations, they are actually sales people for the Mark Group, the money does exist - it comes from the CERT scheme [Carbon Emission Reduction Targets] the money for the CERT scheme isn't 'free' money it comes from energy companies, who of course collect it from us via our energy bills.

You decide who to trust !

captainhindsight_2

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Two companies that make up part of the Save Britain Money group, owned by reality television personality Nev Wilshire, have been placed into administration

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) issued penalties to Nationwide Energy Services of £125,000 and to We Claim You Gain of £100,000


NES only arrange Grants, they don't do any installations, they are actually sales people for the Mark Group, the money does exist - it comes from the CERT scheme [Carbon Emission Reduction Targets] the money for the CERT scheme isn't 'free' money it comes from energy companies, who of course collect it from us via our energy bills.

You decide who to trust !

One company out of thousands that offer this has gone bust, not really to big a deal.

The scheme Goldie1977 is asking about it the home improvement fund, and what he was offered was completely legit and if he didn't take them up on it he has been a bit silly as he has mist out as there isn't likely to be a scheme as generous as this for some time.

Grizzlyadams

You may not be aware but the millions of homes that have some Vermiculite in their lofts will incur a charge to test it. In the 70's the worlds main supplier (in the USA/Canada) discovered some of it got contaminated with small amounts of asbestos, which is nor surprising as they are mined from similar, often neighbouring, formations. BG will want to analyse a sample to see if there is any asbestos present. The cynical amongst you may feel this is because they have just taken over a testing company who, surprise, surprise, charges more than independents, about £80. It would be understandable if it was not already known that the levels are very small and on the advise of the EPA, the USA's environment regulator, to just leave it alone and cover it over and "try not to let children play with it in the loft " well, it is the USA, and if it's good enough for the world's most litigious continent, shouldn't it be good enough for us?

julesp600

Dear me. I am so cross. We applied for a free boiler, EDF came out, checked all the paperwork, quite happy. We get DLA, carers allowance, child tax credit etc.

Got a call from "Dodd Group" - installers I believe. They wanted more paperwork, sent it through, they now say we aren't entitled. Problem is, tax credits show last years earnings. The other half was made redundant in June (got the P45) to show it but the tax credits show what he earned last year. What is that about?!!!!!

So, even though we got about £8000 into our house a year, if we are lucky, we don't qualify until next year?!

dogoff

Just wondering has anybody had loft or cavity wall insulation installed under the recent BG offer advertised on MSE ? I've had my property done but haven't seen or heard any information on how to claim my shopping voucher.
I was conatcted by BG after registering my details on the MSE website.

Thanks

chris1

greatuncle wrote: »

I read that those on Pension Credit could get a free boiler replacement so I applied to nPower to see if I could get one. My existing Glo-Worm boiler is over 30 years old. It still works fine but every time it is serviced the engineer warns me that spare parts may not be available anymore if anything goes wrong.
So nPower arranged for someone to come and do an energy-efficiency survey of my house. They recommended increasing the loft insulation and installation of a new boiler. So far so good. Then they sent an engineer to look at the boiler and heating system. He recommended a combi-boiler to simplify the installation and didn`t mention any reason why it couldn`t be done "within about 4 weeks". Two weeks later nPower `phoned to tell me the saving in greenhouse gas emissions and fuel savings were not enough to justify them paying for a replacement boiler.
My house is a two bedroom end terrace, built 1984, 5 radiators, nothing out of the ordinary about it. But it doesn`t qualify. But they did tell me they could do it if I paid a contribution to the cost. Having got me in the mind-set of replacing the old boiler they then turned it down, perhaps thinking I would say "oh, alright then" so they wouldn`t have to pay out as much. If my house doesn`t qualify, the hundreds of thousands of similar homes won`t either.
British Gas evidently won`t offer free boilers anymore.
Anyone else been led up the proverbial garden path?

My relative had a similar situation but did get a free boiler. The only difference is the age of the property - I seem to remember in one of the MANY conversations about this (it's been a long process) that properties built after 1980-something are more energy efficient so will require a contribution if using nPower. Suggest you try SSE, unless your boiler is actually broken, in that case Eon are still doing the scheme. Maybe ask about the age of the property and contributions first!
HTH

POLAR_BILL

julesp600 wrote: »

Dear me. I am so cross. We applied for a free boiler, EDF came out, checked all the paperwork, quite happy. We get DLA, carers allowance, child tax credit etc.

Got a call from "Dodd Group" - installers I believe. They wanted more paperwork, sent it through, they now say we aren't entitled. Problem is, tax credits show last years earnings. The other half was made redundant in June (got the P45) to show it but the tax credits show what he earned last year. What is that about?!!!!!

So, even though we got about £8000 into our house a year, if we are lucky, we don't qualify until next year?!

They work a year in arrears. We had a loss this year but our figures were based on the year 2012/13. The current year 2014/15 is based on a loss for the year just passed but if we then make more than £2500 we will then have to pay back what they will have overpaid us. Hardly seems fair as we lose out on the previous year if we don't make a loss this year.