Warm Air Heating Unit - ECO scheme frustration. Can't access funding!

onesmallstep

Hi, I am looking for some help or advice from anyone that may have any knowledge or experience of the ECO scheme / boiler or heating replacement - especially relating to Warm Air Heating Units. Basically I am looking to help a family member repair and replace the heating in their 2 bed flat. They have had no working heating in their home for over 2 years now, and as they continue to battle a serious long term health condition, it is something that is so important to improving their basic quality of life. They are eligible for the ECO scheme & have been advised full funding would be in place. However, what started off as a hopeful and positive road to what we had hoped would be steps towards resolving this issues - has hit rather a depressing brick wall. 


The issue with the application/s appears to centre around the fact that they have an old 1970s Warm Air System Unit in place in the property. It does not work, it has not worked for years, and it has been condemned by the gas board and disconnected at the mains due to safety risks posed. There are no radiators in the property, there have never been any installed, and there is no plumbing or piping anywhere in the property for this. There are equally no storage heaters as the flat does not have an electric storage system and so the main and only source of heat comes from this one Unit - which clearly, is not providing any warmth. On applying to the ECO scheme we were advised that the flat WOULD be eligible for the 'Full First Time Central Heating Grant' which would install a new boiler, the radiators and the plumbing and works needed to set up a new GCH system in the flat. An installation surveyor was contacted and it seemed to be going well. However, after 7 days I received a call to inform me that because the flat had been fitted with a Warm Air Unit which ran off the Gas, this counted as a Gas Central Heating system and so she would no longer be eligible. They said they would still fund and supply a new boiler. However, as they rang through the questions 'realising' that there are no  radiators, flues, pipes etc... the offer of this was quickly withdrawn!! A second ECO broker simply stated that they didn't deal with Warm Air Units before I even began the process. I have even asked about storage heaters as a possible solution, however as there are 'none to take away', they can't offer the funding in this case. 

And so it is that I am stuck and rather at a loss. I have tried contacting independent energy advice numbers, but they've not been much help (C-19). I've also contacted the local council who simply batted back to the ECO team who refused in the first place. So yeh…..I'm here just wondering if anyone else has any experience of this ECO grant process - good or bad - or of trying to replace a Warm Air Unit System. I do have a horrible feeling this is one of those 'deliberate holes in the system' as it were. This is a genuine case though of someone who is under social and medical care services for serious health disabilities, who has lived with outdated, unsafe and now no heating at all for over 2 years and who does not (as we do not) have the capital to meet the costs of a whole system upgrade herself. I guess I'd just like to know what the position is with ECO/grants/GCH installs/flexibility surrounding Warm Air Units so that I know whether to persevere down this route or try to find another avenue. 

Many thanks for reading and for any thoughts and responses -

another_casualty

Have you contacted citizens advice ? 😼

Mardle

It might be worth contacting Community Therapy to see if they can help in any way. You can request an assessment for your relative. 

cattie

So sad to read this, the flats on my development were built in the '60's with warm air central heating, which apparently was cutting edge back then. As the years moved on & many of the flats sold on to new owners, the warm air system was removed & replaced with full gas central heating via a gas wall boiler by the new owners This was one of the first jobs on my list when I bought my flat.

Many of the older residents here still have their original warm air heating system, but it is getting more & more difficult for them to find somebody to service the boiler & carry out repairs, hardly any gas safe engineers are qualified for warm air systems nowadays it seems.

I understand that it is the energy companies themselves who decide against replacing the warm air systems & it's not actually any kind of no go area of the Eco scheme, just that the companies choose not to do the work. It does seem however from what I can glean that if you do have a warm air ducted system then there should be some sort of grant available to help get the boiler issue sorted. This is from old data found here, but wouldn't  have thought things had changed much now the scheme had changed to a new name & you might find some uselful infor that will help.  http://www.yougen.co.uk/blog-entry/2282/What+help+can+I+get+with+heating+under+the+Affordable+Warmth+scheme'3F/  

The only suggestions I can make to you are to try contacting Age Uk & also write to your relatives local MP. I don't know if they can help, but it's worth a try & quite often an MP intervening can bring surprising results. Living without a decent heating system when you have disabilities is an awful situation to be in & a crying shame when it seems that the grants to help them are just out of their reach.  

another_casualty

Any more news ? 

Phil4432

No experience with grants, but based on my own experience modern warm air systems in this country are terrible.  The big problem is that no one knows about them, even the supposed engineers the suppliers list.  It was an expensive mistake for me, and I'm glad I switched to radiators.  I'd rather live with an electric radiator, than deal with warm air.

karenburton1305

Oh gosh sounds like a nightmare! Did you do it all on your own or did you go through a company?? When I've looked into this in the past I found companies like GTES who specialise in the boilers as well as the funding. It may be worth contacting a company like this and seeing if they can provide any support?

Otherwise I'd definitely recommend Citizens Advice as an alternative as they're always a great starting point and can point you in the right direction.