British Gas advising to replace our boiler.. should we?

tired_dad

littlerock wrote: »

On the other hand I have a nice new Worcester boiler (nothing to do with BG) and there is no doubt my gas bills are much lower than they used to be.....

Tell me more. Our 1985 Thorn Boiler is still going strong. It's a large floor standing one. Never broken or needed anything in the 5 y I've owned it.

Thought about changing it once but was put off by a perceived thinking suggesting the savings did not add up when compared to the cost of replacing the unit evey x years versus the old boilers which never break.

To the OP, I would use a local fitter to quote for a better boiler and cheaper price then anything said company will suggest

brightontraveller

Tell them fit part and f off there sharks and mostly commission hungry cowboys…..

If your paying for breakdown cover and manufacture still makes parts until they stop or BG won’t honor contract anymore ignore any suggestion to replace (There favorites are power flushing and boiler replacement) 99% of those assessment are done before they get to your door. Oh it will be cheaper is another fav maybe in 20 years when installation cost are taken into account but bet there new boiler wouldn’t last that long.....

Furts

martin2345uk wrote: »

I am getting the message that people don't seem to think much of BG boiler insurance...?

Who are you guys with for boiler/heating cover?

Lateral thinking called for here. In the 1950s - 1980 there probably was no such thing as boiler/heating cover. People survived, and there were not problems. Then boiler cover was invented as a money making scheme to fleece people. It is an unnecessary insurance policy which is sold based on fear of problems.

Yes British Gas are rogues, but they are exploiting the naive and vulnerable who are happy to part with money to them. The principle with insurance is you will pay more each year than it costs in claims. That is how the profit is made. Savvy folks have a decent boiler, and system, then treat things with respect, and use common sense. They save the premium and use it if ever it is required.

Have any insurance policy you wish - that is fine by me. But remember all these folks posting with ancient boilers that are faultless will never have made a claim on their policies.

As an example I do not have any cover, and over the last 25 years may have saved £4000 - obviously difficult to say but this will pay for four new boilers. But of course, I have never needed one. Which gets me back to my earlier point about the crazy concept of boiler cover!

BTL is different - everyone expects it so do not fire back to me over this one!

Biggles

Furts wrote: »

These parts are costing you nothing so what is the problem?

Actually, if he's been paying for BG cover and only had it serviced twice, you could argue that they're costing him an absolute fortune!

martin2345uk wrote: »

I am getting the message that people don't seem to think much of BG boiler insurance...?

Who are you guys with for boiler/heating cover?

Like most others, by the sound of it, I employ a local [independent] heating engineer, which costs me £60-70 for an annual service. My boiler's 33 years old and still going strong!

Le_Kirk

martin2345uk wrote: »

....when a breakdown (which they seem to think likely) ...............

Ask them which part(s) are likely to fail, check out if they are still available and the cost. If they do tell you which parts and they are not too expensive, maybe an idea to source them now whilst not in a breakdown situation. However, I would be of a mind to have regard to all the positive posters who answered your query.

AnnieO1234

British Gas told my mil this for over a decade. It did eventually give up the ghost and the parts became obsolete but over a decade! The boiler at the point it was removed was at least 35 years old. Xxx

Grenage

I've never bothered with heating cover, just use an independent engineer when required. I remember when I moved into my first house, and the expansion vessel was blocked - the fellow told me the boiler was awful and needed replacing really soon.

I moved out 5 years later, and the boiler never once went wrong in all that time.

usman330

Get an independant heating engineer to give you an opinion on it, they might charge £30 for that. Or just ring up some local heating engineers and say your thinking of changing boiler can they come round and price it up, they will give you some free advice and opinions.

As an example we just has an old baxi back boiler ripped out and a new basic heatline combi installed for £1600, this was a conversion which is more expensive than if your boiler is already a combi. Granted the house was gutted out so it was much easier for the fitters, but you may want to consider just changing boilers to something more modern but get lots of quotes and advice before you accept what british gas are saying.

SuzieSue

martin2345uk wrote: »

I am getting the message that people don't seem to think much of BG boiler insurance...?

Who are you guys with for boiler/heating cover?

We have a Powermax HE which is slightly different from yours, but we use Domestic and General because they use Baxi engineers to service Baxi boilers.

27col

martin2345uk wrote: »

I am getting the message that people don't seem to think much of BG boiler insurance...?

Who are you guys with for boiler/heating cover?

No, not at all. Their boiler insurance is first class in my experience. The private insurance I had stopped when the boiler reached 10 years old. But BG were happy to take it on, and have been brilliant.
Probably not the cheapest, but the last two call outs they came the same day and the next day. So I am well pleased with the service. Actually, I only insure the boiler and the controls.(ie: thermostats and control valves) All the call outs have been for the controls. The boiler has behaved impeccably for at least 15 years.