has anybody had a free boiler from the govt scheme?

[furlinedsheepskinjacket]

I think I might qualify but wanted to hear your experiences

No, the person who came signed off lots of improvements but no free boiler despite having no income at the time, having a chronically sick child and a 25 year old boiler that was on it's last legs. We got insulation in the loft and walls and a radiator in the bathroom as it didn't have one.

not personally, but I know someone who did. She was canvassed by a door-to-door salesman, and ended up with a very budget boiler. The firms who specialise in the social installs have a reputation for doing a shoddy job because their customers think it is free and are grateful, not complaining. As the rest of us taxpayers are paying for it we are entitled to expect a good job.

See if you can find a reputable supplier willing to deal with the claim, or if your gas or electricity company has a scheme. They will use their usual installation standards.

The people who fitted our radiator were excellent, they were told by the planner to fit it with the pipes over the wall but the chap who came said he wasn't prepared to do a shoddy job like that and took up the floor and laid all the pipes under the floor - he had to move furniture and all sorts.

oh peguin I heard of someone (as you do)who got a new boiler even though theirs was working ok - is that not the case?

thank you both - good point piglet about the firms who install.

We did, a couple of years ago.
Plumber wrote an invoice, we submitted the forms ourselves and they sent us the money. We got ours as the old one was really old, in fact was condemmeded.

The process may have changed since.

We keep getting calls about free boiler, cavity and loft insulation, and now kitchens.
We had the cavity insulation and builders have since told us it has exacerbated the damp problem we have and it all has to come out.
They did our cellar as well and it created more problems than it was worth.

I am always suspicious of cold-callers and doorsteppers.

have a look for a reputable company, I'd start with the utility companies.

there are some example offers here but I don't see a boiler offer. Offers and subsidies change with government policy (i.e. all the time)

We got one a few months back. Our old one still worked but at nearly 10yrs old it was quite inefficient.

The installers were very good and professional, didn't want tea or coffee and cleaned up after themselves.

However, the boiler was free, we didn't pay a penny for it, but our electrics were not up to standard and they wouldn't fit the new boiler until they were upgraded. We went with our own electrician and it cost £300. To be fair, the fuse board was old and needed replaced anyway.

I think you can get a free boiler if the one you have is very old, the installer we had was surprised they didn't recommend it.

Yes i did last year. My boiler wasn't that old but decidedly dodgey
and kept breaking down. My local council was running a heating renewal scheme. The radiators replaced as well.

Yes we applied through warm-front and got the boiler replaced.

Do you need to be on certain benefits to qualify or is it based on current income?

both I think ewan

yes we had our faulty boiler replaced through a gov scheme.

Our boiler is approaching 15 years old and our gas bills are extortionate. I didn't realise a scheme like this existed. A question for those who have used this scheme-what boiler did they supply and was there any choice over this? If you needed pipes moving or similar, was this included?

have friends who had free boilers, shoddy work, incorrect flue vent. A local heating engineer told me he is always being called to rectify their work. may be an energy supplier can do better but proceed with caution

I'm quite surprised at people thinking almost 10 years and 15 years old is old for a boiler

In the house we've just moved into ours is probably 25 years plus, maybe even from when the house was built in 79 - still works fine.

Laurie I don;t think its a question of not working but how energy efficient it is.

I put my name down in the summer for a reveiw of my energy as I have an old boiler and a hard to heat house (single wall construction)... am yet to even hear about an appointment for an energy assessment.

Ok, makes sense Kew.

We've got cavity wall insulation in this house so if the heating is on for an hour it's lovely and warm.

We've got cavity wall, loft insulation and double glazing but our bills are so high that we only have the heating on the bare minimum and only if it is genuinely really cold. Yet due to the inefficiency of the boiler we are paying £££! So yes it's not the age of boiler but the opportunity to save money and use less gas.