FabSwingers.com forum: Can anyone help ?

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Am sat here dealing with one distraught colleague and I really don't know what to suggest now.

She is a single mum who has her own house, but has previous bad debt.

Her boiler (an old Baxi one) failed and has since been condemned so she is without heating and hot water at the moment.

She has been quoted anywhere between £1500 and £3000 for a new boiler and quite simply doesn't have the money.

She cannot get a loan due to her credit rating - even from a high % lender.

She has looked into crisis loans and they don't do them for that.

She has approached Warmfront about grants but as she is working she is not covered.

She has spoken to the energy saving trust who said all they could offer was insulation.

She has asked family, but no one can afford that kind of money.

She has asked the business we work for to help, they will offer some £, but nowhere near what she needs.

Basically, she feels like she is bolloxed from every angle.

Does anyone know of any schemes available to an employed home owner that offer a replacement boiler with a pay later / pay in installments scheme ?

Any ideas would be appreciated

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead

I would say try her local citizens advice bureau and see what they say... because there is a child involved there surely would have to be some sort of solution......

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Yeah, CAB is the only way left for her to go.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Get in touch with citizens advice bureau. A new combi boiler can be bought for around £500 plus fitting. Quotes of 1500-3000 is ridiculous! Look for a local GAS SAFE installer...private individuals are way cheaper than companies and should realistically only charge around 4-5 hours labour at approx £60 an hour.

As a Homeowner, is there any equity in the house that could be freed up for home improvements?......

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By *icboyMan
over a year ago

Glasgow

Does British Gas not have a replacement boiler scheme...she should speak to them as they have sales team that are there to take you money...so may be able to come up with something that suits...she may have to be a customer though...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Get in touch with citizens advice bureau. A new combi boiler can be bought for around £500 plus fitting. Quotes of 1500-3000 is ridiculous! Look for a local GAS SAFE installer...private individuals are way cheaper than companies and should realistically only charge around 4-5 hours labour at approx £60 an hour.

As a Homeowner, is there any equity in the house that could be freed up for home improvements?......"

And with a child involved, they have a basic legal right to have heating and hot water.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Tell her to try Homeserve. We had a problem with our boiler a few years back and they agreed to repair it so long as we took out one of their policies, and then they added the cost of repair to the monthly premium and collected it over 12 months. After that the premium dropped down to what it would normally be for the Homeserve 200 plan. Our boiler was repairable though, not condemned, but tell her to give them a call and be honest about her situation and they may be able to help. We've kept the policy as they've provided an excellent service and we have peace of mind that our boiler, heaing, plumbing and gas will be repaired in an emergency. I'd recommend them highly.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Hmm Boilers to buy come in at a lot cheaper than that! She's being quoted by robbing gits.

British gas may be able to help her but again they would be costly but they would offer the buy now pay later scheme x

Hope she gets some heating soon.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Just a thought has she had a second opinion on her original boiler?

I've been to boilers that other fitters have condemned for absolutely bloody stupid reasons and easily rectifiable faults just because the fitters wanted the work xx

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I would say try her local citizens advice bureau and see what they say... because there is a child involved there surely would have to be some sort of solution...... "
yes i think thats where she needs to go ... when i was a samartion we would send people there alot who would call up with things like this .

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Just a thought has she had a second opinion on her original boiler?

I've been to boilers that other fitters have condemned for absolutely bloody stupid reasons and easily rectifiable faults just because the fitters wanted the work xx

We had one sharpster say the same to us - that it couldn't be repaired. Homeserve engineer said bollocks to that and fixed it.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

As a Homeowner, is there any equity in the house that could be freed up for home improvements?......"

When I replaced my boiler three years ago the cheapest (private company) £1850 all in and they took five hours. British Gas were charging :£6,500 for three days, digging up my wood floors and moving the boiler. £1500-3000 sounds right to me.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

There is a scheme with british gas where you can pay a monthly fee for some kind of insurance that covers your gsh system.

We used it when our radiators packed in and they were very helpful.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Apologies, it's HomeCare with British Gas. Not Homeserve. Oops. Sorry.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

As a Homeowner, is there any equity in the house that could be freed up for home improvements?......

When I replaced my boiler three years ago the cheapest (private company) £1850 all in and they took five hours. British Gas were charging :

£6,500 for three days, digging up my wood floors and moving the boiler. £1500-3000 sounds right to me. "

Yep pretty average quotes actually

As with the HE boilers you now have to have thermostatic radiator valves and a room stat fitted as well because of regs

Some fitters are slightly cheaper than that but it depends on the area you live in xx

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By *ugby 123Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

O o O oo

I should imagine big firms who supply boilers/ central heating etc would give credit to pay monthly for it.

There is one always advertised on the telly.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

She has had 3 seperate guys look at her boiler and they have all come to the same conclusion.

One is a friend who is a gas / boiler fitter by trade and would do it as a foreigner, but still wants £1500 or so.

British Gas can't provide her with credit.

At the minute, her mortgage lender won't release equity because she has a loan default (not sure I understand that thinking).

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead

"Tell her to try Homeserve. We had a problem with our boiler a few years back and they agreed to repair it so long as we took out one of their policies, and then they added the cost of repair to the monthly premium and collected it over 12 months. After that the premium dropped down to what it would normally be for the Homeserve 200 plan. Our boiler was repairable though, not condemned, but tell her to give them a call and be honest about her situation and they may be able to help. We've kept the policy as they've provided an excellent service and we have peace of mind that our boiler, heaing, plumbing and gas will be repaired in an emergency. I'd recommend them highly."

I will absolutely +1 when it comes to homeserve.... they were brilliant with my boiler and then were fantastic when i had a flood caused by a burst pipe.....

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By *ugby 123Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

O o O oo

"She has had 3 seperate guys look at her boiler and they have all come to the same conclusion.

One is a friend who is a gas / boiler fitter by trade and would do it as a foreigner, but still wants £1500 or so.

British Gas can't provide her with credit.

At the minute, her mortgage lender won't release equity because she has a loan default (not sure I understand that thinking)."

Then she has ran out of options. I can't see how anyone can help her unless they offer to do it for free.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I am just about to have a full central heating system fitted 6 rads baxi boiler £2250 and I have checked around on the internet and the boier is a good one.

The guy I am using is very good with lots of recommendations.

Liverpool is not that to far from your area so if you want the guy's number pm me !!!

It can't hurt to get a quote from him !!!

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By *odareyouMan
over a year ago

not far from iceland,,,,,, tescos is nearer though :-) (near leeds)

There's a company that advertises on my local radio station sorry I can't remember the name of the company that charges about 20 pounds a month for a boiler fitting plus breakdown cover not sure of the length of contract ...also not sure how your colleague would stand with the bad credit.. might be worth a call., visit to the website.

ill listen out for the ad..

the radio station is either magic 828 in leeds.. or pulse in bradford..

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By *carletnsparksMan
over a year ago

halifax

Maybe she should join here and get soapy to visit her a few times for payment in kind lol

seriously though i feel for her prediciment, A few years back ( lots realy but hey i slept since then) we had dryrot that caused the back boiler surround to be thrown out, a new frount was guna be 1200 or so so i went looking and found a gloworm boiler from a supplier for about 500. I'm sure if she could raise the money to buy the boiler her friend wouldnt chage her 1000 to fit it? not sure if you can still get boilers at this sort of price range now though.

Can i also surgest she ghets the new one covered on a service contract so as not to be in this mess again

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Thanks for all the help here and the PM's

I think we have reached a resolution (on the money front at least).

Just need to make sure she gets the best deal now so she doesn't have to borrow too much.

It's taken me 3 hours or so to get somewhere on it (which is valuable forum time, so I hope she appreciates it haha).

Might actually get a bit of work done today now

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By *ilandlarryCouple
over a year ago

more north lincs than mids!

Our boiler packed up just before Christmas 2010 and we looked about for quotes.

Ended up looking on ratedpeople and got a localish guy who supplied and fitted the boiler plus 5 rads, one of which is a towel rail, for £1800.

Our highest quote was almost £4000. Definitely pays to shop around.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Maybe she should join here and get soapy to visit her a few times for payment in kind lol

You trying ta say I'm easy?

(aye ok) xx

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Am sat here dealing with one distraught colleague and I really don't know what to suggest now.