Bolier replacement scheme

zakizzy25

I  have a very old Worcester Bosch condenser boiler
constantly breaking down at best the water is reasonably hot
 it not efficient and is definitely on its way out 
according to ever free boiler scheme I don’t qualify as it’s a condenser I have 2 choices either buy a new boiler which I can’t afford or not have the heating on and not much hot water as I can’t keep having it repaired so I don’t have the thing on 
I am a pensioner on pension credit and have a disability on very limited means but still they won’t help me I have today contacted turn to us for help and they told me to contact Ofgem directly which I have done by email is there anything else I can try? Any advice would be greatly appreciated 

MultiFuelBurner

Replace with an air source heat pump if you can as there is £7500 grant towards this.

The company most likely to fit for free is Octopus so far from comments here and on social media Heat pump groups. It will be a decent if not the venue best install.

Worth getting an estimate now as we head into milder weather to get ready for next winter.

Netexporter

You almost certainly qualify for the ECO4 scheme. You could get a heat pump, solar panels and insulation upgrades free of charge.

zakizzy25

Hi 
no I can’t they are not interested I have a condenser boiler that’s 15 years old according to what I am being told the government sets rules 
and because it’s a condenser boiler they class it as 90% efficiency so I am not entitled to anything but thanks for your input 
My only chance of getting a new boiler is interest free over 4 years British Gas and I am pretty sure I could probably get the boiler for a lot 
less I have no choice 

QrizB

zakizzy25 said:

My only chance of getting a new boiler is interest free over 4 years British Gas and I am pretty sure I could probably get the boiler for a lot less I have no choice 

Last time I looked, Boxt also offered payment schemes.

https://www.boxt.co.uk/

NedS

zakizzy25 said:

Hi 
no I can’t they are not interested I have a condenser boiler that’s 15 years old according to what I am being told the government sets rules 
and because it’s a condenser boiler they class it as 90% efficiency so I am not entitled to anything but thanks for your input 
My only chance of getting a new boiler is interest free over 4 years British Gas and I am pretty sure I could probably get the boiler for a lot 
less I have no choice 

That's not the reason, or at least not the full reason. We are having our Worcester Bosch oil boiler (91% efficient) replaced with ASHP (plus solar panels and internal wall insulation) under ECO4 and it was only fitted around 6 years ago on another government scheme, so it's barely run in.

I think qualification for ECO4 is more driven by EPC ratings. I think the scheme measures a successful outcome by an improved EPC rating, so it helps if your house starts off with a poor rating as this gives more room for improvement. Having an already efficient boiler just means you won't score poorly on that one aspect, but if the rest of your property scores well, then you may not qualify - or may not qualify for enough for the scheme installers to make a decent profit from you. The first thing they will do is a full EPC survey of the property. Our property is solid stone walls, poorly insulated and has lots of doors/windows that are 20+ years old. Do you know what your current EPC rating is - you can use the GOV.UK website to check by postcode - I think ours provisionally came back as an F and we have qualified for ECO4 scheme. Simply replacing an efficient condensing boiler with an ASHP is unlikely to improve your EPC rating.

You could try a few more installers. Some are more flexible than others.

zakizzy25

Hi thanks that is what Iam trying but I don’t hold much hope to it 
as soon as they know it’s a condenser they just don’t want to know 
it is absolutely diabolical that the government allows this so many older people must be affected by this and will have 
to pay the government never tells you how many people miss out because of their stupid rules

wild666

If it comes to a time where it cannot be repaired then boil water in a kettle if you need hot water. Get a halogen heater or two and heat only the areas you are in. tell your energy supplier that you have no gas and they might stop the SC for the gas service or you could pay to have the gas meter removed that would be about £1200 plus, if they won't stop the gas SC.

zakizzy25

Sorry what’s SC?
suggest i boil a kettle to have a bath
why would I want my gas supply removed? I am not understanding what you are telling me to do 

BellaBlondykeTheThird

zakizzy25 said:

Hi thanks that is what Iam trying but I don’t hold much hope to it 
as soon as they know it’s a condenser they just don’t want to know 
it is absolutely diabolical that the government allows this so many older people must be affected by this and will have 
to pay the government never tells you how many people miss out because of their stupid rules

As said earlier in your thread by another user you can still take advantage of the £7500 grant towards an ASHP.

Another user has also posted a couple of good videos in the heat pump section of the forum showing two older properties with very low EPC's and their results.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6513816/interesting-heat-pump-installs-and-resource-links#latest

So if you contacted someone like Octopus for a heat pump survey you might be pleasantly surprised and can then have your gas supply capped and no longer pay over £100 a year for gas.

zakizzy25

I can’t get any of it my rating is a D purely because of this condenser boiler the government gives this boiler a 89-90% energy rating 
so it’s not applicable to a new boiler even though is constantly breaking down 
I am going have to get one on an interest free loan as I’ve not got the money to pay up front for a new boiler 
this government lie about helping pensioners on a low income there must be 1000s of us with old condenser boilers 
the only way I will get any help at all is when it’s completely stopped working and I have no heating or water then I will probably freeze to death by then!