Re: Central Heating not starting

[BigWallop]

Mines is white. :-))

BigWallop

[geoff]

In message , BigWallop writes

You need to get out in the sun a bit more then

[Andy Hall]

The first thing is to not do business with British Gas.

Their prices for new installations in comparison with a local heating firm will be excessive. By all means invite them to quote, but then also look for some alternatives.

Secondly, their service contracts are misrepresented IMHO, and I have written to the ASA about it. Their TV and other advertising gives the impression that they provide a kind of paramedic or emergency service with their £144/annum contract. From experience, all I can say is that even the NHS can provide a better level of service, and I wouldn't want to be in the situation of Mrs Jones and her pump. They are still operating the old nationalised industry mentality of prioritising the vulnerable above everybody else and during peak times in autumn and winter, one can wait a week for an engineer.

They should staff to the appropriate level to ensure that all contracts are properly serviced. In reality, they do what they have suggested to you and try to sell you a new boiler. The engineers receive a bonus for this.

The second is not to buy Glow Worm. I happily threw my last one on the skip a year ago - a poorly made piece of junk. Take a look at some of the better German made products such as Vaillant which are substantially better.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Paul]

Hello Andy, thanks for the hints and info.

I have to admit that the service I've had from BG has been generally quite good, mind you you only know how good the service contract is when you need to call them out, on the occasions that I've had to call I've not had to wait longer than 24hours, but I take your point!

I will be looking at other avenues as well as BG to replace the existing boiler, I could order one online from B&Q if I wanted and then get someone to fit it...we shall see what happens, thanks again.

[Andy Hall]

You could do, but they don't have among the best products on the market. You can do a lot better for the same or little more money.

If you are interested in on-line places,

has a good range of brands. It's also worth looking at some back postings using Google Groups for what is good and what is not. In particular, Ed Sirett's suggestions are valuable, and he installs boilers for a living.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Simon Avery]

Hello Paul

It's BG isn't it? Typically twice the price of anyone else, sometimes three times as much.

BG Engineers are, imo, more salesman than engineer. He'll be buying exactly the same sort of boiler, but even cheaper (BG get a huge discount).

Good lad.

Even so, it's a damned site cheaper to get a bank loan and pay /that/ off in installments.

[BillR]

You can get GlowWorm combi boilers for 450 quid upwards. BG are bound to be at least 30% more than anybody else. After all they are not the old BG we knew and loved/hated, they are another milkcow of Centrica's along with the AA which they have also screwed up.

[geoff]

In message , Paul writes

Do you want a new boiler or did the BG man persuade you that you needed one?

BG's favourite trick is ripping off punters by telling them that they need a new boiler - the service man even gets commission on it.