British Gas and heating system installation

Habbakuk

I'm getting a British Gas representative around to my house to advize about a new heating system for water and heating the house. Presently, the house has storage heaters and an emulsion heater for the hot water along with one gas heater. Has anybody else used BG to install their heating system? Are they competitive with their prices? Any advice? Of course, at this stage, I'm not committed to buy. I do have gas and electricity mains in the house. Thanks.

dogshome

BG are certainly not the best value for money on installations
Let them come in and do the quote, then take BG's spec. sheet itemising the work involved and ask at least two local independant firms for their prices.

Habbakuk

Thanks doshome.

macman

It's an immersion heater. BG will typically quote 40% more than an independent GSR RGI for a new boiler install. Not sure on an entire new CH system-combi or conventional boiler?
So no, they are not at all compettive.

daveyjp

BG quote almost £6k. Independent £3,800 and the indie fitted a more expensive boiler.

Richie-from-the-Boro

I can't off-hand think of anyone more expensive, the average install cost of installing a system from scratch [installing pipes and radiators and the cost of hiring a qualified professional to install your central heating system for you plus the most expensive item - the boiler] is about £3.5k +.. .. BG start from much much more. In your case you should also factor in the additional costs of removing your old system and re-wiring.

Johnandabby

Avoid BG like the plague.

Get a couple of independent local installers to quote, and then compare the boiler and hot water cylinder proposals.

ollski

I doubt they will be cheapest but you are doing the best thing by getting several quotes including bg and then you have the information to make an informed decision.

Habbakuk

Thank you all. I've aleady arranged fro BG to visit and give a quote. But I will also get at a couple of local engineers in too. There will be little of the old to take out because the heating system were made up of a gas fire and storage heater which I've alread taken out of their positions.

Habbakuk

The British Gas guy came today and he just did a rough estimate as he said I wasn't ready yet of him to do a detailed one. Anyway, he estimated it would cost around £8,000 to install a heating system. :eek:

He did say that all the pipes would be copper! I was expecting something nearer half that amount! The house is 3 bed with a kitchen and sitting room in one and an utilty room and a bathroom. It's not very big at all.....a mid terraced Vitctorian town house.

dogshome

You really need to get that fully detailed spec. of the work and it's cost from BG.
Only with this in front of you can you compare Apples for Apples when getting prices from a couple of Indies.

£8,000 seems way over the top, BUT, with the present gas set-up only feeding a Gas Fire, the gas pipes from the street into your home could be too small to supply the amount of gas required by a Central Heating boiler, so maybe BG's estimate includes the cost of larger bore pipes being laid into the house