Warm Front advice

stugall

Anyone help?
My father has been accepted for a warm front grant in the Midlands.
Told he qualified for 2700 but after a visit told would cost 4000 for boiler and seven radiators and he had to do the work through their contractor (we have a neighbour who runs a company in the exact area!!!?)
Is this the norm? Anyone with suggestions?
Thanks again
Stuart

chesky369

I think you should go to your local citizens advice bureau and ask them to look into the system locally and if possible put it on their SOCIAL POLICY REVIEW - this will mean it gets highlighted nationally in all their bureaux and something may get done about it nation-wide, if indeed it is being abused. This may not help you in the short term stugall, I'm afraid.

banjo_2

stugall wrote: »

Anyone help?
My father has been accepted for a warm front grant in the Midlands.
Told he qualified for 2700 but after a visit told would cost 4000 for boiler and seven radiators and he had to do the work through their contractor (we have a neighbour who runs a company in the exact area!!!?)
Is this the norm? Anyone with suggestions?
Thanks again
Stuart

You must get at least three quotes from reputable heating companies and if as I suspect there is a massive difference in the price contact Warmfront and ask why and don't be fobbed off. Have a word with your local councillor and get him to contact your MP if necessary

far

stugall wrote: »

Anyone help?
My father has been accepted for a warm front grant in the Midlands.
Told he qualified for 2700 but after a visit told would cost 4000 for boiler and seven radiators and he had to do the work through their contractor (we have a neighbour who runs a company in the exact area!!!?)
Is this the norm? Anyone with suggestions?
Thanks again
Stuart

My parents had 6 radiators done via WarmFront a couple of weeks ago (WarmFront paid for 5, they had to pay for the 6th one). The grant excess was just under £219 and £180 for the 6th radiator so I'm afraid your dad's story sounds like a rip-off. At most he should be able to get 2 extra radiators and the rest for under £500 extra. Try asking for a different contractor.

sylviesinc

Since I last posted saying that we had been quoted more than £1800 over our £4000 grant, we have had the work done, the week before Xmas, at no cost to ourselves.

The reason for this is that when we were quoted £5800 plus for the work, I wrote letters of complaint to our local MP, the Minister for the environment Phil Woolas and the Director of Eaga, the company that runs Warm Front on behalf of the government. I also advised them that I would be contacting Watchdog and the tabloids.

We very quickly had a telephone call from an official at Eaga to say that we would not have to pay a thing and all the work would be done. We then had an emergency visit from the manager of the local company who would do the work. He explained that Eaga use their own installers exclusively and the costs are prescribed by DEFRA, but he had been told to do the work for us urgently and all the costs would be met by Warm Front. They took 4 days to install the combi boiler etc and the workmen told us that they had been told to take as long as necessary to ensure a good clean job. They were even anxious for me to write to Eaga telling them that the job had been done to our satisfaction.

We were extremely pleased with the work, if a little gobsmacked at the speed with which we received this service and the withdrawal of the costs to us following my letters.

Yes, I used to be a civil servant myself before I retired and yes, I know the power of invoking those at the top and publicity but even I was shocked at the speed with which this all happened.......I felt like royalty!!:j

These grants are intended for those of us who need them and it's the squeaky hinge that gets the grease, so if you don't think you are getting what you are entitled to......COMPLAIN TO THE TOP......and don't stop until you get what you are entitled to.;)

far

Well done sylviesinc! Just to update on my parents situation, they've had the work done but the pipes have had to go in some very odd places (along a ceiling and also sticking out the side of a step in the bathroom :eek:) as they couldn't empty 3 bedrooms, 2 of which had cupboards full of clothes and heavy items in them. The system has had problems too - one of the radiators took over 90 minutes to come on (the others came on within a few minutes) and since then, a radiator seems to get cold but it varies each time as to which one it will be (sometimes it's one upstairs in their room, sometimes it's the one in the living room, once it's been the one in the sitting room). The Benchmark certificate in the boiler manual says the system was flushed and inhibited with X800 (could be X300?) and X100 but I was in the house and heard no loud noises which would suggest a Powerflush - is one done on a completely new system? Overall though my parents are happy but one thing I'm very unhappy about and will be voicing my displeasure about is the fact that I called up Fenhams on Monday asking for an engineer to come around and check the radiators to see why this was happening - no-one has come yet :mad:

baldelectrician

Found a link to the Scottish Executive system (now run by Scottish Gas, not EAGA!)

http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/cs_006584.hcsp

Phone number for more info

wearside_2

I applied for my Warm Front Grant on 1 April and the work was completed yesterday when the electrician came to wire up the new Ideal Icos 24HE Boiler and fit a new thermostat and control box as well as doing other stuff (I know not what) in the area of the Immersion Heater. I am somewhat confused by the previous posts advising of the cost of the work. The only indication I have had regarding the cost is that Warm front told me on the phone that my contribution would be very small but for legal reasons they could not tell me over the phone. He said think of 5% and change the symbol to a £. I took this to mean £5. The plumbers and the electrician both told me that the grant covers all of the work and I do not have to pay anythiing!

I am confused that 42 days after I apply for help, I can have a brand new A Rated boiler fitted and all the things that go with it, without receiving anything in writing explaining the grant or costs etc..

To compound the mystery, I received 6 Energy Saving Lightbulbs yesterday from Warm Front. Unfortunately they were the bayonet type, whereas more than half of my lights are screw fittings.:(

banjo_2

wearside wrote: »

I applied for my Warm Front Grant on 1 April and the work was completed yesterday when the electrician came to wire up the new Ideal Icos 24HE Boiler and fit a new thermostat and control box as well as doing other stuff (I know not what) in the area of the Immersion Heater. I am somewhat confused by the previous posts advising of the cost of the work. The only indication I have had regarding the cost is that Warm front told me on the phone that my contribution would be very small but for legal reasons they could not tell me over the phone. He said think of 5% and change the symbol to a £. I took this to mean £5. The plumbers and the electrician both told me that the grant covers all of the work and I do not have to pay anythiing!

I am confused that 42 days after I apply for help, I can have a brand new A Rated boiler fitted and all the things that go with it, without receiving anything in writing explaining the grant or costs etc..

To compound the mystery, I received 6 Energy Saving Lightbulbs yesterday from Warm Front. Unfortunately they were the bayonet type, whereas more than half of my lights are screw fittings.:(

Well 5% of £2700 is £135 so what you need to know is 5% of what ? Also you need it in writing.

wearside_2

banjo wrote: »

Well 5% of £2700 is £135 so what you need to know is 5% of what ? Also you need it in writing.

I think what he was saying, is remove the % sign and replace with a £ sign which is what I take to mean £5 instead of 5%, which is not cost effective to collect from me. As the plumbers and Electrician have said that they would not have started the work, never mind completed it, without me paying my contribution, I assume that I pay nothing. As you say, I need it in writing, which I am attempting to get.