Government scheme for cheaper energy

parrodice

I have just had a chap come around about a New Government Scheme which is supposed to cost me nothing as well as save me money on my Gas Bill. The company is Zep Superior Solutions / FC Forward Chemicals and the item he was promoting was Air Source Heat Pump.
He did say the government pay you upfront for 7 years (per quarter) and then you pay it back to the company. We would gain because our gas bills would be reduce by approx. 80% by using this Air Pump which will be installed free of charge.

Has anyone had any dealing with them or can you offer any advice as it sounds like a good idea but I am dubious as it sounds too good to be true so it most probably is.

marleyboy

http://www.heatpumpinstallations.com/page/government-grants

molerat

My electricity costs me just under 6 times the price of my gas. Worst case scenario of an old gas boiler being 50% efficient then the ASHP needs a COP of 3 to break even. Go figure. In rural areas where the electricity supply can be dodgy then you could have problems, I can run my gas heating from a car battery and inverter.

footyguy

parrodice wrote: »

I have just had a chap come around about a New Government Scheme which is supposed to cost me nothing as well as save me money on my Gas Bill. The company is Zep Superior Solutions / FC Forward Chemicals and the item he was promoting was Air Source Heat Pump.
He did say the government pay you upfront for 7 years (per quarter) and then you pay it back to the company. We would gain because our gas bills would be reduce by approx. 80% by using this Air Pump which will be installed free of charge.

Has anyone had any dealing with them or can you offer any advice as it sounds like a good idea but I am dubious as it sounds too good to be true so it most probably is.

Did you not question the chap over this obvious contradiction in his claims? :cool:

You are right to be dubious.

Remember the old adages:

If something looks too good to be true it probably is too good to be true.
There's no such thing as a free lunch
etc.

Hope you told the chap to do one.

If you don't wish to be bothered further by such nonsense, perhaps you should consider following the advice given in the MSE article:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/no-more-junk#freesign

teddysmum

Never deal with anyone who knocks on the door or phones to say they are 'in your area'.

parrodice

Thanks for your advice, deep down I knew I was wasting my time.

matelodave

A heat pump is highly unlikely to be cheaper to run than mains gas or even oil at at the moment.

They are expensive to install and the government grant isn't overly generous and could work out to be considerably less than you hope.

They aren't a direct replacement for a gas or oil boiler as some suggest. Just bunging one in onto an existing heating system is a recipe for ongoing problems, very high running costs and you'll be cold as well

I've got one and it was installed in conjunction with a brand new heating system and I'm very pleased with it but I wouldn't have contemplated it if we had mains gas where I live