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Official Free Boilers and Insulation guide discussion

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  • Hi all,

    After several attempts with different energy companies, British Gas confirmed we qualify with our tax credit threshold.

    A week later we had a survey, the engineer said as we had a unconventional boiler we would have to pay the extra amount for new flue etc. The price is £1547.81 which is a saving between £1500 to £2500 if we were to buy private or direct from British gas.

    Our problem is, we have two Mira mixer showers, which we were told may or may not run with the new boiler, can anyone advise us if this would be the case. the new boiler offered is a Vaillent ECOTec 28 HE combi boiler with A max DFR of 11.9?? where the powermax is 18?? although the powermax pressure as never been great but okay. our water mains pressure is good.

    any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

    Our current Powermax is working okay and is 11 years old but hard to replace or get parts for.
  • Harryo
    Harryo Posts: 100 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    You need to find out the model of the shower and check with the manufacturer. Some mixers are not suitable for use with combination boilers. Mira have a good website; hopefully the pictures will help to identify what you have.
  • Hi there
    Just to feedback that I registered with British Gas for their scheme recently, and they do not have any appointments available until 31st May 2016! They said I can keep phoning back for a cancellation but do not have a waiting list policy. Therefore an appointment at a sooner date may become free but if someone else phones that day then they will be offered it over someone who has waited longer...not really helpful! I have since contacted EDF and they have offered 4-6 week wait For a survey which is slightly better but still a long time.
    Hope this is helpful.
  • Justiceforme
    Justiceforme Posts: 249 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 19 January 2016 at 7:50PM
    Hi has anybody any knowledge of ukpbc.co.uk. Birmingham.
    They say that they are offering free boilers for people on certain benefits.
    Child Tax Credit
    Pension Credit
    Working Tax Credit income below £16,010
    JSA
    ESA


    Thanks
  • Sharon1200
    Sharon1200 Posts: 1 Newbie
    edited 20 January 2016 at 2:21PM
    Hi,
    I get numerous flyers through the door for 'Free ECO' boilers and I have always thought they were really a sales scam just to generate leads for salesmen. My boiler is some 10+ years old and rated at 70% efficient and sometimes fails to work, I receive Child Tax Credits earn well under £16K and have a young child, so I decided to play safe to call the Scottish Energy Saving Trust to make enquires as to whether I would qualify under the ECO scheme.

    After a 40 minute phone call being asked all sorts of questions it came down to these 3 options:

    1. I might qualify
    2. We could fit a boiler for £2500 + £700 for 'Controls'
    3. Under the HEEPS scheme we could arrange a finance package for option 2!

    The person whom I spoke to seemed more interested in pushing options 2&3, despite me making it clear it was the ECO scheme I was interested in and seemed to have little knowledge apparently reading from a transcript ( I subsequently found out Home Energy Scotland is run by the WISE Group - whom employ mainly ex offenders, ex addicts, and the long term unemployed under a sort of unpaid workfare) so what about the ECO boilers?

    After 40 minutes on the phone I only get a 'Maybe' at what point do you get the YES?

    I can buy a new rated A+ boiler for £800 and get it fitted for circa £400 (Even on ebay fitting is advertised) so somebody is making a good profit at £3200. So are these organisations just generating income for sister businesses or receiving commission?

    If any one knows of a 'Direct' approach for these free boilers that cover the Glasgow area I would like to know, most of the stories I find online about ECO boilers are a mirror image of mines. So who has had success with getting a FREE BOILER?
  • tali
    tali Posts: 709 Forumite
    edited 20 January 2016 at 10:20PM
    I had free boiler 7 years ago from WarmFront and have now applied to e-on for a new one- dunno if they are any good for this.This was thru the EnergyTrust and although they asked lots of questions they never pushed for any cost-other than that eon will survey to see if i might potentially have to pay for any additional work- but generally the vibe was free boiler
    Two of my family had free boilers from a Bham company(LEAFLET NOT COLD CALL) -who fit based on % energy efficiency.They were very good and fitted boilers within a 2 month time frame.
    THey say % energy efficiency, others say 5yrold , some 8 yrs and EnergyTrust say they don't use any of that criteria.Wish Martin would get clarification on this
    Have had loads of cold call jokers - signing me and my family up many many times, with guarantees boilers will be fitted.Never hear from any of them ever after signing
  • tali
    tali Posts: 709 Forumite
    Eon are not free but want £200
  • I contacted the ENERGY CARE GROUP who posted a leaflet through my door, I live alone and im disabled. I qualify for PIPS care and mobility and ESA income based.
    I have had no heating the whole winter so when i found out about these people I contacted them. I was told yes you can have a new boiler no worries our assessor will come out and sort things, So he arrived and said OH your boiler is only 8 yrs old. Yes i said. Its energy efficient he says ! I say not really its knackered! He says sorry ill do it for £2500.00 if you can't afford it we do credit at 29.8% apr
    I said if i could afford the £2500 id have paid a local engineer who would have been cheaper!
    He proceeded to tell me thats all i qualified for and i should take it or have no heating my choice! YUP NICE GUY!
    Needless to say he left without my signature! He didn't even look at the boiler to see if it was broken and what was wrong!
    Have i gone mad or do i not qualify for any help? I have two electric heaters and can heat my living room and bedroom, but the rest of the house is getting covered in mould and i need help!
    Is there anywhere i can get help?
  • Free boiler with British Gas to replace powermax 155x
    Hi all,

    After several attempts with different energy companies, British Gas confirmed we qualify with our tax credit threshold.

    A week later we had a survey, the engineer said as we had a unconventional boiler we would have to pay the extra amount for new flue etc. The price is £1547.81 which is a saving between £1500 to £2500 if we were to buy private or direct from British gas.

    Our problem is, we have two Mira mixer showers, which we were told may or may not run with the new boiler, can anyone advise us if this would be the case. the new boiler offered is a Vaillant ECOTec 28 HE combi boiler with A max DFR of 11.9?? where the powermax is 18?? although the powermax pressure as never been great but okay. our water mains pressure is good.

    any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

    Our current Powermax is working okay and is 11 years old but hard to replace or get parts for.

    Harryo wrote: »
    You need to find out the model of the shower and check with the manufacturer. Some mixers are not suitable for use with combination boilers. Mira have a good website; hopefully the pictures will help to identify what you have.

    After your advice, we checked with both manufacturers Mira and Vaillant who assured us we would be fine.

    Our Vaillant Eco boiler is now installed, and all works perfect, okay it cost us £1500 contribution, but a normal swap cost is £2300 ish and ours was a complete system change new vertical flue removal and patch up of old flue which was ran the length of the loft, new drain piping and overflow pressure release, with wireless controls guaranteed and insured with british gas for 12 months The british gas normal quote was just under £4000
  • Had British Gas assessor this am. He stated that he knows a lot about the building trade and because my house was built in 1986, he assures me I have a thermal brick wall and cavity wall insulation isn't needed. I have searched the Internet and can't find anything to confirm this. Any advice gratefullly received.
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