Boiler breakdown while on DMP

Lucylou7

Hi all 

I hope this is the correct place to post. I was struggling to find a thread that covered something similar. I have been on a debt management plan with stepchange for the last 2.5 years and on the whole it has been going ok. I am currently on reduced payments due to Covid19 related financial related issues, but other than that I have not missed any payments and I have not taken on any new debt. 

I now have a big problem, my boiler is leaking water. The guy who came out to look at it said it will cost around £800 to fix or I could look at getting a new one as for this type of boiler it is considered old. I really didn't see this coming as the boiler is only about six years old.  I can't just leave it as the leak is getting much worse and it is only a matter of time before the water starts leaking through the ceiling below. 

I am inclined to look at getting a new boiler, as it will come with a 10 year warranty and will hopefully reduce my gas bills long term. I am currently paying £80 for gas for a two bed house with just me living here.   I know some companies offer boilers on payment plans, but aside from the fact that I might be accepted due to made credit, getting a new boiler on a payment plan would be a new credit agreement and would put me a breach of the term of DMP.  Needless to say, I don't have cash to either fix the boiler or replace it. 

I will phone step change to ask their ask advice, but due to Covid19 it is hard to get hold of someone on the phone at the moment. 

Has anyone been in a similar situation before? 

Thanks in advance. 

CreditCardJunkie

Hi, just to say there are boiler grants if yours is over 15 years and your household income is under 40k. Hope you get sorted, ours went in Jan and we had to put it on an interest free credit card as no one round here does finance for it! 

Mahsroh

I can't help on the financing side of it - no doubt somebody will be along to offer some sound advice on that front. 

But just on the boiler itself... admittedly your situation may be different if the boiler is only 6 years old (assume you've checked the warranty for this btw?) but a few years ago I was given a choice of paying £600 for a repair or £2000 for a new boiler, and was strongly advised to pay for the new boiler. Due to my financial situation at the time I opted to pay the £600.... 2 months later the boiler packed in completely and I ended up paying £2000 on top of the £600 i'd already paid.

Speak to step change, and await advice on here, but I speak from bitter experience when I say please be careful if you do decide to go for the cheaper option. It might not be the most cost effective.

trex227

Can’t help with the finance issue but if you’re in a 2 bed house make sure when getting quotes for a new boiler they’re not quoting for an unnecessarily large boiler. When we had to get a new boiler in our 2 bed we were quoted a price but when I researched the boiler found it was for 3-4 bed houses. So we told them we wanted the next model down that was for smaller houses and cost £300 less. Have had no issue with it- can get house very warm in the winter.

katsu

Our boiler is probably over 20 years old so repairing them can be fine - it's worked well for us. 

Do you trust/ know this gas safe engineer who has quoted?  If not consider asking for recommendations/ using websites that rate people to find someone else for an opinion.