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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wonder what do other people do when the boiler dies?

38 replies

HookedOnHooking · 28/10/2015 08:09

We aren't badly off. We manage. But we have absolutely nothing left at the end of the month. Nothing much in the way of savings. Enough for stuff like Christmas or birthdays, because there is nothing much left to save. We aren't frivolous. Don't go out more than once every couple of months. shop in Lidl and buy clothes in tesco.

The boiler is just about dead. A new one costs ££££££££. I haven't got £££££.

What do you do? Bank loan? Payment scheme thing? Wash in cold water?

OP posts:
RoseDog · 28/10/2015 08:13

Our boiler died at the same time as our car and like you have not much left at the end of the month, we ended up remortgaging as the house needed a few other repairs too, if it was just the boiler or the car we probably would have got a loan.

Enjolrass · 28/10/2015 08:14

Ring round a few of the big companies.

See what deals they have. Smaller companies will be cheaper but won't offer finance or the like.

Or a loan. Ideally from family or friends if possible.

You just need to work out what's best in your situation.

We have a savings account for things like this. About £10 pm goes in. Sometimes nothing. I also have an empty credit card for emergencies. After many years, we have a good amount in there. But for years it felt a bit pointless.

BathshebaDarkstone · 28/10/2015 08:16

Cry?

MumOfTheMoment · 28/10/2015 08:16

We have a couple of credit cards so would probably put the cost onto one of them then transfer to another when they had an interest free offer on. Which is all the time.

For us this works better than having a finance deal as we would pay off as much as we could afford each month plus any extra bonuses etc would go straight off it too. In fact we had to buy our old inexpensive car this way last year.

Not ideal but no option really.

Original poster
HookedOnHooking · 28/10/2015 08:17

I cried as the shower turned stone cold this morning. It didn't help much.

OP posts:
80sWaistcoat · 28/10/2015 08:19

Moneysavingexpert.com has a section on loans that is helpful.

You could get a bank loan and be realistic about repayments. Boiler companies sometimes do 0% deals. Also some places have schemes if you are upgrading to more energy efficient boiler.

0% cc another option. And, which is depressing, work out what you can stop buying in order to fund repayments.

ProfYaffle · 28/10/2015 08:19

Have you heard of a Decent Homes Loan? Google it in your area, your Local Authority has to provide help (usually a loan) to residents whose homes do not meet the 'decent homes standard', this includes not having heating and hot water. The provision applies to private rent and owner occupiers, not just LA housing. Different councils have different conditions so you'll need to approach your local council.

x2boys · 28/10/2015 08:20

We were buggered when this happened to us we had only bought a new boiler about 5/6 yrs previously Sad due to various issues we ended up private renting where thankfully the boiler going wasnt our concern now in council ,i dont know loan ,credit card ? its such a big expanse.

WizardOfToss · 28/10/2015 08:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sgtmajormummy · 28/10/2015 08:21

If you have a boiler installed by British Gas, don't they let you pay in installments added to your bill? It may be more expensive in the long run but at least you can spread it out...

MamaAwayOnBusiness · 28/10/2015 08:21

Do you receive any tax credits? If you receive certain benefits you can get a broken boiler replaced for free.

Squiff85 · 28/10/2015 08:23

We will probably need a new one next year, plan to either pay monthly to British Gas, or borrow from mum!

TheoriginalLEM · 28/10/2015 08:25

we are pretty much stoney broke all the time and have no credit so i live in fear of major breakdowns.

It is surprising how resourceful you get when make do and mend isn't a lifestyle choice.

Saying that DP is a builder and im very techy geek so will attempt most repairs ourselves. We were so lucky that we have a plumber friend who replaced our boiler at cost so was £600 rather than £3000!

In your shoes id be looking up energy efficiency grants - don't some companies offer govt subsidised discounts if you install energy efficient boilers?

It might also be worth googling and seeing if you can identify the problem with the boiler and employ a local plumber to install the parts. espares is pretty good for parts and often come with instructional videos. You buy the parts let theplumber fit them. as long as they are "gas safe" registered.

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 28/10/2015 08:26

Yes, if you're on certain tax credits the gov are doing a scheme where you get one very chesp. A friend of mine just paid £200 inc installation.

TheTigerIsOut · 28/10/2015 08:31

There should be a replacement of the WarmFront scheeme from years ago. Perhaps a Google search willhelp youfind a similar scheme?

Fortunately, boilers are not as expensive as they used to be, when mine died, they were about £3,000. now they cost about £1,000.

After spending a few weeks sofa surfing with DS, and many days and nights tucked in the bedroom with child, dogs and an electric heater and asking friends if I could borrow their shower, I can say that I much rather spend the Christmas and birthdays' money in keeping the house warm than putting the family through a week of this ordeal.

Act quickly before it dies, because once that that happens you will be apending most of the time (and money) avoiding to be in a freezing house.

TheTigerIsOut · 28/10/2015 08:32

Apending= spending

motherofallhangovers · 28/10/2015 08:33

We've been without hot water for 2 months now.

Heating is still working thankfully. We're boiling kettles to wash up and pots and pans to bath every few days and we take turns with the water (like the old days - except DC go first.

Car and freezer also broken so we are without.

Last time we needed cash we didn't have we got a 0% purchases credit card. That was to get a new car but it lasted less than a year and now we're car less but still paying the debt off which stings! So not sure if I recommend that method! (Still not paid any interest though).

TheTigerIsOut · 28/10/2015 08:36

By the way, there is normally a wait for these schemes, I will be eternally grateful to WarmFront, but my boiler died in October and my turn to have the boiler installed didn't come until March.

2ndSopranosRule · 28/10/2015 08:38

Our boiler died of old age last year. Like you, we gave very little left at the end of each month. We ended up getting a loan with Zopa for around £1,500 (the new boiler work was more but we paid the rest - it wasn't much more though) and we can afford the £40 monthly repayments. What we're finding is that the new boiler is so, so much more efficient than the old one that our savings on our bills are amounting to nearly half the repayments. It means that we're overpaying the loan.

ICanTuckMyBoobsInMyPockets · 28/10/2015 08:40

I did something quite immoral but I was desperate.

I got boiler cover, about £16 per month. I knew I couldn't claim for the first 14 days, so I waited 16, then called and acted the innocent "i can't believe it, it was meant to be when I bought the cover la la la"

Yes it was wrong, but I had no choice.

That's what I did. Not advising you should do the same of course Wink

zen1 · 28/10/2015 08:49

This happened to us last year. We borrowed the money from DH's parents and set up a standing order to pay them off so much a month. We've only just finished paying it off.

MrPorky · 28/10/2015 08:52

I don't know the answer to the finance question, but who's told you the boiler's dead/dying?

I know of three recent examples where one of the big "service providers" have told people the boiler need to be replaced, only for a local plumber/heating engineer to fix it for less than £100.

TheoriginalLEM · 28/10/2015 09:05

Icantuckmyboobs - not wrong, bloody good thinking!

TheBunnyOfDoom · 28/10/2015 09:09

These threads make me SO grateful that we rent and that our boiler is the landlord's responsibility! It was replaced last winter but that was after it broke once/twice a week for a few weeks. No way could we have afforded all that!

When we have emergency bills, we use the credit card, or dip into the savings if it's only a small sum. I know I could ask my parents if we were desperate but I wouldn't want to unless we have no choice.

Who is your boiler with? Do you have any kind of insurance with your gas provider?

Witchend · 28/10/2015 09:12

The boiler cover we looked at started with a free check up...