Pensioner grants for new boiler?

akira181

My mothers boiler just died and the engineer said it's a blown transformer, will cost around £300. The boiler is an 11 year old WB Greenstar 25Si and the engineer said more repairs may be needed down the line. She should consider replacing it.

Personally, I think she should just repair it because she intends to sell the house and she won't recoup the cost of a new boiler. She's been saying that for a number of years but has in the last year or so started selling a lot of stuff ready to downsize.

I've seen the Facebook ads for companies offering to help apply for a free boiler grant; I've always dismissed them as a scam but after some searching, I found the Warmer Homes Scotland programme. She's 70, lives alone, receives pension credit, and her boiler is broken so it sounds like she qualifies. My concern is that it may take months for an approved installer to install the new boiler and she can't really live without hot water for all that time.

Has anyone had any experience with the Warmer Homes Scotland programme or is the repair option the better route?

FreeBear

akira181 said: My mothers boiler just died and the engineer said it's a blown transformer, will cost around £300. The boiler is an 11 year old WB Greenstar 25Si and the engineer said more repairs may be needed down the line. She should consider replacing it.

You mother needs a better engineer. The Greenstar 25Si is still current, so spares are available. For example, the transformer is £40 from Plumbase before any discounts are applied. Transformers rarely "blow", so more likely the fault is with a motherboard - £135/170 depending on board variant.

If she is definitely selling this year, I'd go for a repair with a different engineer.

akira181

She lives on an island, pretty rural so tradesman are few and far between. Good ones even rarer.

It tripped the circuit breaker when it stopped working. The flashing light / troubleshooting guide suggests checking continuity and power to the fan, fan leads, temperature sensors.

If the engineer said the transformer, sounds like power isn't getting to something. 170 plus labour and vat for a board would approach 300 I imagine. More if multiple parts need swapped.

Just wondering, what's your reasoning for not going the grant route?

BUFF

akira181 said:

, I found the Warmer Homes Scotland programme. She's 70, lives alone, receives pension credit, and her boiler is broken so it sounds like she qualifies. My concern is that it may take months for an approved installer to install the new boiler and she can't really live without hot water for all that time.

Why don't you call Home Energy Scotland & ask a few questions? I suspect that you are right in it taking time to go through the approval system etc. though.
https://www.homeenergyscotland.org/find-funding-grants-and-loans/warmer-homes-scotland/

Ectophile

FreeBear said:

akira181 said: My mothers boiler just died and the engineer said it's a blown transformer, will cost around £300. The boiler is an 11 year old WB Greenstar 25Si and the engineer said more repairs may be needed down the line. She should consider replacing it.

You mother needs a better engineer. The Greenstar 25Si is still current, so spares are available. For example, the transformer is £40 from Plumbase before any discounts are applied. Transformers rarely "blow", so more likely the fault is with a motherboard - £135/170 depending on board variant.

If she is definitely selling this year, I'd go for a repair with a different engineer.

The transformer on my Greenstar Ri shorted out and kept blowing fuses, so it does happen.

akira181

BUFF said:

akira181 said:

, I found the Warmer Homes Scotland programme. She's 70, lives alone, receives pension credit, and her boiler is broken so it sounds like she qualifies. My concern is that it may take months for an approved installer to install the new boiler and she can't really live without hot water for all that time.

Why don't you call Home Energy Scotland & ask a few questions? I suspect that you are right in it taking time to go through the approval system etc. though.
https://www.homeenergyscotland.org/find-funding-grants-and-loans/warmer-homes-scotland/

I filled out their contact form over the weekend so hopefully should get a response in the next day or two. If I catch a break at lunchtime, I might pop them a call too. Will see what they say.