New boiler, not eligible for a free one

elliep_2

Hi All

I was wondering if you might be able to help me.

My current boiler is about 15 years old and has been requiring repairs every year. I've never actually managed to have the heating and hot water working properly at the same time, and have been ripped off by 3 separate plumbers. As of today the heating has gone kaput and my lodgers were not all that impressed. I need to do something about it very soon.

I'd really like to get a new boiler but neither myself or either of my lodgers are eligible for a free one. I can't afford a new boiler outright and prefer not to enter into finance agreements.

Is there anything I'm not considering? Any way to get a new boiler cheaper than the £2,500 - £3,000 the websites I've been looking at want to quote.

Thank you so much in advance for any help you might be able to give.

CashStrapped

Is it a combi boiler?

Or is it a boiler with a hot water tank and further cold tanks in the loft.

If it is the latter, you may be able to swap it for a modern "heat only" boiler. This would be the cheapest option as you do not have to change much of your existing system. It will bea like for like swap, basically retrofitting a modern boiler onto an old system.They should flush your existing system with a cleaner though.

Heat only boilers are very cheap, start at £500. So a full installation may come it at around £900 if not a bit less.

There is nothing wrong with "heat only" boilers. Ignore the name. It will be a very efficient modern boiler and do all the things a boiler should do.

elliep_2

It's a combi boiler.

It's in the attic, which it a really long way away from the kitchen where the hot water is mainly needed.

I have considered getting an electric water heater for the kitchen, so a heat only boiler would be OK if I got an electric water heater for the kitchen and another for the bathroom. The shower is already electric.

Would that be likely to be a more cost effective solution?

captainhindsight_2

HThere is a Cashback scheme coming, this will knock around £1k off your capital outlay and is not means tested and is not a loan.

You can do a straight swap with a combi, would be cheaper And better than installing a heat only boiler and an electric water heater.

Those quotes seem high for a straight Combi swap, and £900 sounds to cheap!

Expect to pay circa £1500-£2000 then if the Cashback scheme opens up in time around £1k back.

elliep_2

Ooh, cashback scheme sounds good. Any idea when that's likely to be coming? Does it have a name or a website where I can find out more?

Total outlay of £1k would be OK. Even outlay of £2k and getting £1k back later is managable. The energy company websites are suggesting more than that though. I'm sure they aren't the cheapest.

Thank you

captainhindsight_2

https://decc.blog.gov.uk/2014/12/01/update-on-green-deal-home-improvement-fund/

This is all the information that is available ATM, which isn't much...

Keep an eye on this thread below for updates, it should have opened in November. It is now obviously December and still nothing so hopefully it will open very soon!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5078358

Yea and if you are getting quotes off the energy companies, they are going to be high! Best thing to do is to get three or more quotes from local companies and check that they are also green deal registered so you can get the Cashback.

CashStrapped

Captainhindsight - are you actually reading the posts? Or are you skim reading and mixing up all the information.

"You can do a straight swap with a combi, would be cheaper And better than installing a heat only boiler and an electric water heater.

Those quotes seem high for a straight Combi swap, and £900 sounds to cheap! "

Firstly, the cashback scheme is not here yet, it is winter and she has a house full of lodgers. I doubt if they can wait for the cash back scheme to arrive, apply and wait for a new boiler.

Secondly, I asked the question whether she had a combi boiler or a regular boiler (with the tanks in the loft etc).

If you read my post I said "if you have the latter". So the information regarding the heat only boiler was only pertinent if she had an older system.

Furthermore £900 is not "too cheap" for a heat only boiler and fit onto an existing system. This depends where you live as prices will vary slightly.

Finally, you imply that a heat only boiler would also require "an electric water heater"?!? If this what you think then it really shows a lack of knowledge on the subject.

Another name for a heat only boiler is a regular boiler. It has nothing to do with supplying "heat only".

A regular boiler (or heat only boiler) is a modern standard boiler!

So, as my original post stated, if she had a regular (heat only) boiler, then replacing it like for like would have been the cheapest option.

As she does not, a new combi is the only viable solution.

However, I would still consider repair as an option. What exactly has gone wrong?

There are no cashback schemes currently available. If you can wait, fantastic, if you can't, you will have to consider alternatives.

suse*

depending how desperate it is you could register on here maybe

http://www.flowenergy.uk.com/

captainhindsight_2

CashStrapped wrote: »

Captainhindsight - are you actually reading the posts? Or are you skim reading and mixing up all the information.

yes I am reading the posts, are you?

"You can do a straight swap with a combi, would be cheaper And better than installing a heat only boiler and an electric water heater.

Those quotes seem high for a straight Combi swap, and £900 sounds to cheap! "

Firstly, the cashback scheme is not here yet, it is winter and she has a house full of lodgers. I doubt if they can wait for the cash back scheme arrives, apply and wait for a new boiler.

Op asked

Is there anything I'm not considering? Any way to get a new boiler cheaper than the £2,500 - £3,000 the websites I've been looking at want to quote.

i mentioned the cashback. Seems a proper responce to the question

Secondly, I asked the question whether she had a combi boiler or a regular boiler (with the tanks in the loft etc).

If you read my post I said "if you have the latter". So the information regarding the heat only boiler was only pertinant if she had an older system.

Furthermore £900 is not "too cheap" for a heat only boiler and fit onto an existing system. This depends where you live as prices will vary slightly.

for £900 there will be very little profit in the job, thus less effort thus poor quality job

Finally, you imply that a heat only boiler would also require "an electric water heater"?!? If this what you think then it really shows a lack of knowlege on the subject.

No I never said that, can you not read??

The op said

I have considered getting an electric water heater for the kitchen, so a heat only boiler would be OK if I got an electric water heater for the kitchen and another for the bathroom. The shower is already electric.

Would that be likely to be a more cost effective solution?

I responded to the question which you clearly didnt read

Another name for a heat only boiler is a regular boiler. It has nothing to do with supplying "heat only".

A regular boiler (or heat only boiler) is a modern standard boiler!

congratulations

So, as my original post stated, if she had a regular (heat only) boiler, then replacing it like for like would have been the cheapest option.

As she does not, a new combi is the only viable solution.

again congratulations

However, I would still consider repair as an option.What exactly has gone wrong?

keeping an old boiler running on its last legs is a false economy

There are no cashback schemes currently avaliable. If you can wait, fantastic, if you can't, you will have to consider alternatives.

I have answered your points above, you clearly have not read through the thread. So lesson no. 1, read before you criticize! :eek::T:rotfl:

Also OP sorry about @cashscrapped trying to troll the thread.

elliep_2

Thank you all for helping.

I think that was my misunderstanding about the heat only boiler. I thought that meant heating only and not hot water. not sure where I got that idea from, but I had previously considered a water heater in the kitchen because of the cooling that occurs in the winter with the water travelling so far. It's insulated in all the parts I can get to but unfortunately that leaves a lot not insulated.

I've been reading the information about the cashback scheme and it sounds like it'd involve waiting for something that may or may not happen. And if it does happen then the money might vanish before I can actually apply for it anyway.

I've had 2 different plumbers look at the boiler in the past and both times they have misdiagnosed the problems, charged loads and not fixed it but claimed that because they replaced the parts they told me they were replacing I couldn't have any kind of refund.
It's really old and inefficient, and I don't trust plumbers looking at it now. I'd rather find the money for a new boiler than pay another £500 for nothing. But I also don't have thousands of pounds waiting for this.

It regularly stops working, but until today has always started up again when switched off and on again.

CashStrapped

But you did not correct the OP on the assumption of needing electric heaters with a heat only boiler!

A simple "there would be no need for electric heaters with a heat only boiler".

Again fitting a regular boiler to a regular system, for £900 is not "too cheap". It would have been the cheapest avaliable option in that scenario.

"Those quotes seem high for a straight Combi swap, and £900 sounds to cheap!"

You combine two differing scenarios into one sentance.