Switch from coal to gas!

AliceBanned

Hello


Not sure whether anyone can advise. I know there are deals for people on low income wanting to replace their old boilers.


My elderly parents (in receipt of pension credit) fit the criteria for the government scheme but they currently have coal only. They have a coal fire which fuels the pump to the radiators. It hardly works and their house is freezing! My dad recently told me he would get gas central heating put in and I said I thought there would be some scheme to help financially but I can't see anything. I really want to encourage them to get it done as it is too cold for them apart from in the living room where they have a nice coal fire. They are also getting too old to carry coal about!

CashStrapped

Your parents existing system may have an air-lock or need a power flush (as there may be a physical blockage in the system), hence it not working properly.

Regarding a gas boiler:

The main questions are:

1) Do you have an existing gas supply that is connected to the property?

2) If no; Is their a gas mains nearby you can actually connect to?

3) Depending on the distance from the mains supply (and land ownership) you can be charged a pretty penny by the local distributor to get a mains connection. Only they can give you a quote and carry out any works.

Assuming you have a gas supply already, the information you need is in the utilities section of this website.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-cavity-loft-insulation#boilers

The section you need to pay attention to is this:

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You're likely to qualify if:

• You get tax credits and have a household income of less than £16,010 and...
• You receive income-based benefits, such as pension credit or income support, and you have children, a disabled person in the household, or are over 60.

You won't be able to get a free boiler if you live in a housing association property or are a council tenant. Instead, this will be arranged through their own schemes.
The criteria are complex, so a quick way to check if you qualify is to call the Energy Saving Trust advice service and answer a few basic questions on 0300 123 1234 (England and Wales),

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As above, call the Energy Saving Trust. They will go through your specific circumstances and advise you further.

AliceBanned

Thanks cashstrapped. I've emailed this to my dad. He then said my mum has been 'used to coal for 60 years' and she might not be so keen so I hope they aren't having a change of heart. Their house is way too cold in the winter. And it is costing them a lot and the price of coal keeps rising. I did say to my mum she could keep an open coal fire in the living room alongside the gas central heating.


They do have a gas supply as they have a gas cooker.

CashStrapped

Super, the gas connection solves the issue of connection costs which can often be a major component of putting in gas.

I would ring the energy saving trust on their behalf. Find out if they are eligible yourself, then you can find out what they are eligible for.

It may be advisable to do the maths which will help show if they will save from a gas installation. This may help convince them to maker the change...if the numbers add up.

1) Find out their annual coal spend.

2) Then compare this to the average typical usage figures for Gas for the year. Low to medium use ranges from 9000KWH to 15000KWH of gas.

In my area this equates to £270 - £390 per year on current competitive tariffs.

3) Add to this the cost of the Gas installation. A new from scratch installation may cost from between £4-6K. This all depends on the size of the property and current installation. Obviously any grants which you apply for may help reduce this a lot.

After all this you can work out how beneficial a switch to gas will be in terms of cost.

Comfort and ease of use is a different matter. Gas should be much better (not to mention cleaner) in this regard.