Official Free Boilers and Insulation guide discussion

Richie-from-the-Boro

frames1_uk wrote: »

I didn't sign online, I signed his iPad that he uses for all the photos and calculations as to whether I qualified or had to make a contribution.

I called Help Link earlier on and explained I was concerned that I had no paperwork etc, the guy said they do all their work on ipads now and as soon as they say you've qualified for a free boiler, Help Link basically take a back seat and the installers will give me the paperwork associated with guarantees etc.

It's a straightforward boiler swap, off the wall and replacement on, same pipework, same controls, thermostat etc, so can't see there being too many problems to be made?

It's free, I'll take it

I don't blame you at all, so you should my friend. Everything completed on a hand held explains the paperwork. As you say a straight swap with no extras - Best of luck.

frames1_uk

Thanks, the assessor said even he was surprised that I qualified with my house only being 8 years old, but the boiler must have been a particularly rubbish one put in by cheap builders (Persimmon). So anyone else thinking about it, call them up, even an 8 year old boiler qualified, in this case!

sarflee

My FIL and MIL have the British Gas homecare and they mentioned about this grant. The only benefits they receive are council tax rebate and the savings part of pension credit. One of BG engineers came last Wednesday, never really asked for proof of benefits, agreed that the pension saving credits qualified and the boiler was fitted yesterday. £4000 of work for nothing.

Chocmonster7

Just want to say "thank you" to Lrbplumbing for having a telephone chat with my Dad and helping him to unravel all the confusion surrounding his application for the scheme.

Armed with the advice he went back to the people he'd been dealing with and they are now booked to install his boiler on Monday with no further payment from him! Yay!

Thanks again Lrbplumbing!

frames1_uk

sarflee wrote: »

My FIL and MIL have the British Gas homecare and they mentioned about this grant. The only benefits they receive are council tax rebate and the savings part of pension credit. One of BG engineers came last Wednesday, never really asked for proof of benefits, agreed that the pension saving credits qualified and the boiler was fitted yesterday. £4000 of work for nothing.

£4K! Wow is that just for a boiler swap? The guy said £1800 to me

haz25a

frames1_uk wrote: »

£4K! Wow is that just for a boiler swap? The guy said £1800 to me

£4k is ridiculous! The British Gas surveyor tried to tell me that as well, nonsense. You'd have to be off your head to pay BG that for a straight boiler swap.

The sub contractor who fitted mine told me it would be nearer the £1500 mark.

British Gas do make me laugh:rotfl::rotfl:

frames1_uk

I'm having a Worcester greenstar 18ri fitted by Help Link, lot of drilling from the outside going on!

haz25a

I hesitated before posting this but decided it was only fair to let people know about my unpleasant experience with Scottish Gas.

See my previous posts about when my boiler was installed, make of boiler etc.

Firstly, it has now been 10 days since my boiler was installed by Scottish Gas and the old one and all the rubbish that goes with it has STILL not been uplifted!

I cannot operate my central heating system. I had a 12 year old Worcester combi boiler, very easy to use timer, no thermostat as all radiators had thermostatic valves, small house, hence only four radiators. It was replaced with a Potterton condensing combi boiler, old timer taken away and replaced with an over complicated two-in-one timer/thermostat and one of the radiators had the thermostatic valve taken off it, apparently known as the "feeder" radiator. The thermostat is giving false readings so my heating does not come on when the timer is set, if I overide the timer to use it manually it stops working within 5 mins!

I repeatedly contact the Affordable Warmth Scheme at Scottish Gas but they never returned my calls. I was left with no option but to email the complaints department. They were supposed to respond to my complaint within 3 days, heard nothing!

Came home tonight to find the floor soaking wet and water pouring from the boiler onto the electrics! Immediately switched boiler electrical switch off and phone Scottish Gas who just told me to turn my water off at the stopcock. I demanded an engineer out. I know have a boiler with a big yellow sticker on it saying "WARNING. AT RISK. DO NOT USE" No hot water or central heating and am awaiting an engineer visit tomorrow.

There is water damage to my property and I shall be escalating my complaint with Scottish Gas and demanding compensation for damages.

Maybe, I've just been unlucky? Am I glad I got a "free" boiler from Scottish Gas? NO, wish I had just stuck with the old one.

Hope you all have better luck than me.

Scottishmummy

haz25a that's not good, which company actually fitted the boiler? It is not Scottish Gas that are fitting mine although everything has been done through them. It is the company that did the technical survey that will be fitting and I asked the surveyor if the old stuff was left and he said no, they would take it all away with them. I was hoping they would leave it so we could trade it in for scrap value, never mind. He did say our hall would have a wall thermostat and that radiator would not have a trv - a safety measure incase the boiler is timed to come on but all the radiators have been turned off.

I was hoping for a nice easy operating system like our current one but it sounds like that won't be the case I hope you get it all sorted.

haz25a

Scottishmummy wrote: »

haz25a that's not good, which company actually fitted the boiler? It is not Scottish Gas that are fitting mine although everything has been done through them. It is the company that did the technical survey that will be fitting and I asked the surveyor if the old stuff was left and he said no, they would take it all away with them. I was hoping they would leave it so we could trade it in for scrap value, never mind. He did say our hall would have a wall thermostat and that radiator would not have a trv - a safety measure incase the boiler is timed to come on but all the radiators have been turned off.

I was hoping for a nice easy operating system like our current one but it sounds like that won't be the case I hope you get it all sorted.

No. They use sub contractors. Boiler installed by one company. Timer/Thermostat by another company and the uplift is supposed to be done by DHL courier company:undecided

I'm going to escalate my complaint and the very least they can do is give me a separate timer and none of this combined nonsense.

If they don't uplift next week, I'll contact a scrap metal merchant, good idea. Thanks.

I'm really not happy about the whole thing, it's like a comedy of errors! :mad:

I'm not a very lucky person, I'm sure others will be fine.

Good luck with yours. Let us know how you get on.