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Legal, pensions and money

Free boiler on government scheme

(27 Posts)
DerekY Tue 21-Jul-15 07:41:40

Last year while on benefits before I retired I had a boiler fitted under the government scheme. This weekend I had trouble with the water pump. when I contacted British Gas under the maintainence scheme I have. I was told by the engineer that when they fitted the boiler the system should have been flushed and it looks as though it was drained only. \I am now facing a bill to flush it of £600 being disabled I cannot afford it. Can anyone help with the contact for the government dept contact.

Anya Tue 21-Jul-15 07:58:39

If you have a maintenance scheme with British Gas surely they should sort this out? I suggest you talk to CAB.

DerekY Tue 21-Jul-15 13:48:03

A full flushing is not covered under the British Gas scheme.

DerekY Thu 23-Jul-15 13:35:06

Well here is the update:
I tried to find who was responsible for monitoring the government grants for boiler. Could not find anything on the internet or through the following bodies.
Age uk they put me onto Gas First who passed me onto Health and Safety who suggested the Trading standard.
They gave me details to getting a letter on there website As I am disabled I was starting to get a headache and confused.
So to get help I contacted Rotherham advocacy service(for disabled) the lady I was going to speak too is only part time and was not available till Monday.
Last Monday I approached the installer both by e-mail and left a message for a K Tamasi. Who I dealt with on the insulation to get back. No reply for 3 days. Rang today was told that the receptionist did not know anyone but that surname they had someone by the name of Kelly (strange). No call from her today yet.

Tegan Thu 23-Jul-15 21:22:49

Is it worth emailing one of the newspapers? We've found in the past that a letter on a complaints page soon gets things done and they contact people for you. Trouble is, can't remember which section of the paper we used [we used to have The Observer]. There's one called Ask Jessica in the Telegraph but you have to write to Jessica, Money, The Daily Telegraph, 111 Buckingham Palace Road,London, SW1W ODT.Postal address, tel number and signature are needed. Or email moneysupermarket.com

durhamjen Thu 23-Jul-15 23:27:42

www.theguardian.com/money/series/bachelor-and-brignall-consumer-champions

In the Saturday Guardian, they have problems like this.

Tegan Thu 23-Jul-15 23:30:09

Aha; we have The Independent on Saturdays that's why I've never seen that one! Thanks jen.

durhamjen Thu 23-Jul-15 23:31:28

[email protected]

Email address to write to them if you want to. They are Trading Standards officers.

DerekY Sun 26-Jul-15 10:13:20

Many thanks everyone I will try but I am going to get the lady from the local disability advocacy service to see what she can do but I will follow it up with them thank you durhamjen.

DerekY Fri 31-Jul-15 19:15:02

Finally got through to the company they want me to contact them when I receive the independent water report. Now wait.

DerekY Tue 01-Sep-15 14:56:17

I am now on the 7th week the company has until the end of the 8th week to do something or I have to contact offgem 8 weeks for them to be completley useless. Left a message for my MP to get in touch but he was on holiday for the first week. Another piece of useless work ex minor another that thinks he has a job for life.

jollyg Tue 01-Sep-15 15:35:18

Hope the MP does his stuff, if not compalain and again and again

Nihil desperandum Latin for

Dont let the buggers get you down

bikergran Tue 01-Sep-15 15:51:09

DerekY we have a boiler fitted under a similar scheme they were responcable for the maintenance for a further 3 yrs...have a look for a sticker on the boiler see if there is a phone number on. I'm pretty sure you should NOT! be paying anything to have it service or fixed! if you only had it in last yr.

bikergran Tue 01-Sep-15 15:53:34

good luck DerekY.

DerekY Tue 29-Sep-15 08:12:32

What a set of cowboys.
Rang 2 weeks ago and they said that they would arrange for next week. But I was going on holiday for a week. I said that I would ring them when I got back. Rang yesterday to confirm the date to arrange the date for the power flush of the system. I could not speak to the person that was dealing with my problem. The girl I spoke too contacted her manager (believe she was the one I spoke too originally that vanished). She said that her manager that they would not be power flushing.

YAHOO

DerekY Thu 01-Oct-15 16:00:48

Ideal who supplied the boiler had an instruction booklet saying that the system should be flushed with water before fitting. Fushion Heating stated to me they were not obliged to power flush the system. Also on the form they stated yes they had done it when they had not. On approaching Ideal I stated this and they said that they did not have dealings with who fitted the boilers as they were available off the shelf. I then stated that were they not bothered that the company who fitted it was bringing the boiler into disrepute and that the paper it was written on was not worth the paper is was written on. I did say that would they be bothered if I then put everything in the press and mention IDEAL she said NO. Read Rotherham Advertiser next week.

The moral is if they leave you a booklet on what every service that has been done it is no guarantee of quality of the work taken out has been done properly. It's not worth the paper it is written on and not proof of a quality job.

DerekY Fri 09-Oct-15 12:15:41

Had an e-mail back from ECo and they are looking at it again. Meanwhile I am getting quotes for a grant and have to get three quotes. One said that it was part of what had to be done when fitting a boiler the central heating had to be power flushed first.

Beware when getting a new boiler on a government scheme you could have the same problems. If it falls through this time then my MP is waiting to hear the results.

DerekY Sun 15-Nov-15 08:53:04

Finally had to dig into my pocket and get a company in from Chesterfield who were very good and had to pay £335.

Although I am waiting for Kevin Barron to get back with his response from the government.

hildajenniJ Sun 15-Nov-15 14:18:13

I hope that everything is sorted with your heating derek. What a cautionary tale. I was looking at the government scheme, but I don't think I will bother now! Thanks.

jollyg Sun 15-Nov-15 14:24:05

@ hilda

Poor Derek. but there aint nothing free. Govt idiots pay good money to so called contractors [scamsters].

Get a decent installer and again hope for the best.

BTW I thought this scheme finished last year

Ana Sun 15-Nov-15 14:34:03

If you read the OP you'll see that Derek had his boiler fitted last year, jollyg.

mischief Tue 24-Nov-15 13:14:41

My boiler needs replacing. I had heard about this scheme and was just on GN to see what other people's experiences were. Thanks DerekY for the post, I will no longer be persuing a free gov. grant boiler. Unfortunately this means I have to spend over £2000, according to my boiler engineer, money I can't really afford, so I might just limp along for a bit and see what happens.

M0nica Tue 24-Nov-15 19:59:25

If British Gas were meant to flush the boiler out when they fitted your new boiler and didn't do so then they are legally bound to deal with any ensuing problems at their expense.

When you speak to Trading Standards, or anybody else make it absolutely clear that British Gas is in breach of its contract with you by not flushing the system as part of the installation process of fitting the boiler and that that is the cause of your current problems. If you are also a British Gas costomer you should be registered on their Home Care Register for people who are disabled, on Pension Credit or other benefits. This is meant to mean a higher level of Customer Service.

When dealing with problems like this I always write directly to the Chairman or Chief Executive of the company concerned to make the complaint, it is usually very effective

The name of the Chief Executive of British Gas (the trading name of Centrica) is:Mr Ian Conn
You write to him at:
Centrica plc
Millstream
Maidenhead Road
Windsor
Berkshire
SL4 5GD

M0nica Tue 24-Nov-15 20:01:05

mischief just because one person has a problem with this scheme does not by any means men that everybody or even many people do. Go ahead and apply for the boiler, just make sure the system is flushed through when they fit it.

PeterMcEwan1967 Thu 13-Apr-17 10:41:50

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