We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Pensioner with poor central heating. Tips?

Options
tiddler
tiddler Posts: 21 Forumite
A pensioner friend, living in Scotland, has poor central (electric) heating and poor insulation.
Any tips on improving matters? Are there grants or free installs for insulation or gas central heating installs?

Further background:
* The lady is over 65, living in Scotland
* Has a standard government pension
* Has a small private pension (possibly £20 a month extra).
* She has no savings.
* I think she is due Pension Credit. I'll help her get that.
* She has a pre-pay electric box. I'll help her get a meter.
* Half the electric wall heaters do not work.
* Due to the poor insulation, she spends a fortune (trying) to heat the place during winter.
* I think she has looked at insulation before, but been told it's not appropriate for her wall type.
* Through the winter months, I fear for her health.

Any advice greatly appreciated.
«1

Comments

  • stator
    stator Posts: 7,441 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Changing the world, one sarcastic comment at a time.
  • missbiggles1
    missbiggles1 Posts: 17,481 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Does she have loft insulation or double glazing?

    Does she own her property or rent?
  • tiddler
    tiddler Posts: 21 Forumite
    There will be some loft insulation. I'm not sure of the quality.
    No double glazing.
    She lives with her son. He has no cash.
  • HappyMJ
    HappyMJ Posts: 21,115 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    tiddler wrote: »
    There will be some loft insulation. I'm not sure of the quality.
    No double glazing.
    She lives with her son. He has no cash.
    That sounds like an awful property that needs a complete renovation and modernization.

    Would she be interested in moving? She could approach a social housing landlord and get put on "the list"...might take a few years but she might be rehoused in something much better. Housing benefit will cover the majority of the rent.

    Is she on the tenancy or property title? I'd get the son to give her notice to leave so she's then homeless then her priority to be rehoused would greatly increase.
    :footie:
    :p Regular savers earn 6% interest (HSBC, First Direct, M&S) :p Loans cost 2.9% per year (Nationwide) = FREE money. :p
  • tiddler
    tiddler Posts: 21 Forumite
    It is an awful house, but it's been the family home for 40+ years. She doesn't want to leave.

    Any other tips to get free gas central heating installed greatly appreciated.
  • Meanwhile, just heat the room she is in. Get a working portable heater for this.

    Whose house is it? The son's? She may not be eligible for anything free if he does not fit criteria for this, if the house belongs to him.
    (AKA HRH_MUngo)
    Member #10 of £2 savers club
    Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology: Terry Eagleton
  • stator
    stator Posts: 7,441 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    It's unlikely you'll find anyone willing to fit GCH from scratch for free. The most you'll get is a boiler swap to a new efficient one.
    You could look at the Green Deal as a way of financing it.
    Changing the world, one sarcastic comment at a time.
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 17 August 2015 at 10:32AM
    OP, you say 'electric central heating' and then refer to 'wall heaters'. Electric central heating means a wet system with conventional rads but an electrically -powered boiler, and is about the most expensive method of heating ever devised.
    If the 'wall heaters' are independent electric heaters, then it's not electric central heating, but something else. Which is it?
    Most unlikely that it would have an electric boiler if mains gas were available, as it's always been about 300% more expensive to run than gas CH.
    So much more info need in order to give you meaningful advice. But if mains gas is not available, then NSH's running on E7 will be by far the cheapest way to heat. |In the meantime, get the 'wall heaters' operating properly.
    Insulation: probably not got cavity walls by the sound of it, but that doesn't prevent proper double glazing and loft insulation being fitted.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • thistledome
    thistledome Posts: 1,566 Forumite
    Does she own the house or rent it? There are different schemes available depending on that.

    Go to this web site and play the little video with the knitted worm draft excluder. Phone the number at the end of the film (it's also somewhere on that page, sorry I don't have much time right now and couldn't take it down).

    http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/warmhomes

    If she is eligible to claim pension credit, then make sure she claims it because it will make her eligible for other things too.

    There is help out there.
    Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don't harrass them, don't deprive them of their happiness.
  • tiddler
    tiddler Posts: 21 Forumite
    edited 20 August 2015 at 8:57PM
    Thanks all for suggestions so far. It's useful. I'll make some calls. Any further advice welcome.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.5K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.9K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.9K Life & Family
  • 257.2K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.