Boiler scrappage scheme launched (£400)

NeilF · 5 Jan 2010 at 13:27

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8440557.stm

A government scheme that gives households in England £400 off the cost of a new boiler has been launched.

Our boiler is about 15yrs old, so I'd be interested with our gas bill being nigh on £1000 a year, how much a new modern boiler would reduce this down by.

British Gas are offering to match it too, so that equals £800. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...le-400-offer-for-boiler-scrappage-scheme.html

Biohazard · 5 Jan 2010 at 13:28

"People who own their homes or landlords who rent homes are eligible, but social landlords, housing associations and boiler installers are not."

lol?

Luke · 5 Jan 2010 at 13:29

If it's anything like the car scrappage scheme then the prices will be overinflated for new ones with no discounts available so you'll end up paying more than you would now.

Greebo · 5 Jan 2010 at 13:51

How do you find out for sure if your boiler qualifies?

And who the hell would pay £2000 to £3000 to have a new one installed?

I only paid £2500 for a full central heating system fitted. I can go buy a new boiler for £1000 so how they hell does it cost £1000 to £2000 to fit it?

tb2000 · 5 Jan 2010 at 13:52

I can't honestly see that it'll make much difference in a lot of cases, you'd have to have it a long time to get your money back. In a lot of cases I think that many peoples boilers just need a good clean and service. I can only really go by my own personal experiences, but in our old house we had an "old fahioned" back boiler and cylinder system, it was ultra reliable really considering it's age and fairly efficient surprisingly. It only needed about 3 thermocouples replacing in about 20 years, and my dad used to give the back boiler etc. a good clean and hoover out of dust etc. a couple of times a year. Considering it was heating a fairly big 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, extended semi-detached house, it was very good on gas. Even my dad said himself the gas bills were pretty cheap considering. Our bills were usually around £750-£800 a year apparently

Of course, it does also matter how much you use it - someone with the heating on constantly will obviously always pay more than someone who doesn't. We paid about £300 a quarter in the winter period but hardly used it in the summer - just needed it for hot water.

godinman · 5 Jan 2010 at 13:53

My dad asked the same question of his plumber, and he seems to think it would take absolutly ages to make any money back. What, you save something like 10% in fuel bills?

So that's for you £100 a year.

New boiler is about £2000 - 800 = £1200

So you'd make you money back in 12 years? Although your prices for installation seem high, sure I could get someone to install it for more like 500.

Depends on your circumstances i suppose...if my figures are accurate (may well not be) then i personally would bother.

Vita · 5 Jan 2010 at 13:56

Our house is 50 years old now. We have a Boiler that has like this pipe thing going up into the roof, there is a cold water tank aswell, as a separate hot water tank on the bottom. It's a gas boiler but powered by electric I think. Apparently a boiler repair man came out to see it and said it might have asbestos in it. Would we qualify for this scheme?

Rotty · 5 Jan 2010 at 13:59

My sister just ahd a new boiler installed and it was about £1000 so it all seems a bit odd

Von Smallhausen · 5 Jan 2010 at 14:15

Perhaps Alex Reid will take advantage of the opportunity to scrap his boiler ?

NeilF · 5 Jan 2010 at 14:17

Rotty said:
My sister just ahd a new boiler installed and it was about £1000 so it all seems a bit odd

Was it one of these efficient condenser ones? Was the £1000 just for the boiler (which is about what they cost I believe)? Or all in (ie: fitted too)?

Rotty · 5 Jan 2010 at 14:18

NeilFawcett said:
Was it one of these efficient condenser ones? Was the £1000 just for the boiler (which is about what they cost I believe)? Or all in (ie: fitted too)?

was fitted but no idea what sort it was, one of those that sits on wall and does the hot water and heating

Neverwhere · 5 Jan 2010 at 14:19

from what ive read the boiler must be 100% working, so if your poor and your boilers on its last legs and you cant afford to replace it, please enjoy yet another good shafting by Gordon and his wonderful idiotic schemes.

godinman · 5 Jan 2010 at 14:21

My last point may have been a load of rubbish.

According to this you can save up to 40%..tho I'd take that with a pinch of salt

NeilF · 5 Jan 2010 at 14:33

godinman said:
My last point may have been a load of rubbish.

According to this you can save up to 40%..tho I'd take that with a pinch of salt

Our boiler was fitted in about 1995, and was a relatively straight forward one... I expect one of these new modern boilers would be a lot more efficient. I'll get British Gas around to have a gander - they service our current one at the moment...

Sp00n · 5 Jan 2010 at 14:34

We had our boiler changed recently, now the hot tap is shockingly weak in the bath yet the shower is more powerful than a sand blaster.

hai5 Sussex county council

v0n · 5 Jan 2010 at 14:38

Trouble is that all condensing boilers rely on European designs and so there is no A or B rated replacement for back boiler and who on earth has an extra 1.5 x 1.5m space in the kitchen, this and that many centimeters from windows and doors to cater for all the ventilation and safety requirements. People don't change their boilers because they like 1970ies firefronts in their living rooms, but because the alternatives mean ripping half of your installations and digging up floors in the house, getting rid of tanks and gravity balasts.

NeilF · 5 Jan 2010 at 14:43

v0n said:
Trouble is that all condensing boilers rely on European designs and so there is no A or B rated replacement for back boiler and who on earth has an extra 1.5 x 1.5m space in the kitchen, this and that many centimeters from windows and doors to cater for all the ventilation and safety requirements. People don't change their boilers because they like 1970ies firefronts in their living rooms, but because the alternatives mean ripping half of your installations and digging up floors in the house, getting rid of tanks and gravity balasts.

1.5x1.5m? Our current one is in less than a 1x1m space

Getting rid of tanks? Surely you still have your hot water tank?

The reason I'm interested in replacing our 15yr old one now is we're looking to have the kitchen done soon, and that's where the boiler is. So it would make sense if we're going to do it, to do it then really... The vent also goes stright through the wall, out below the kitchen window. It might be a good time to divert the vent through the other wall into the garage and up through its roof!?

Pav89 · 5 Jan 2010 at 14:47

Does this cover warm air heating boilers? Our current one is almost 26 years old and really needs replacing as it's awesome compared to radiators and the fan is starting to make funny noises. Thing is, not sure whether they can be classed as boilers as it combined a boiler with a fan, but you can upgrade them to warm water as well (we have a separate boiler for water though)

BTW, it has a permanent pilot light

Dup · 5 Jan 2010 at 14:49

We have your standard wall boiler on its own in one of the bedrooms... yes... one of the bedrooms. Stupid terraced shed.

Want a new one putting in the kitchen but they probably won't allow it due to regulation or something. Maybe we can move it to the loft.

DampCat · 5 Jan 2010 at 14:50

Sp00n said:
We had our boiler changed recently, now the hot tap is shockingly weak in the bath yet the shower is more powerful than a sand blaster.

hai5 Sussex county council

Could be worse! Our shower is powered by gravity from the tub in the loft... 4 feet above it!