Pensioners free central heating repairs.

[Ian Stirling]

Can anyone point me at what the person (who diddn't know much more than the subject) might have been thinking about? Scotland, if it makes a difference.

[fred]

In article , Ian Stirling writes

Oooh, lets try google for : free "central heating" scotland => many hits including

;-)

This scheme is for free central heating for pensioners who don't have an existing central heating system, there may be some branches that help with central heating repairs on that link or on others from similar google searches.

HTH

[Ian Stirling]

Bah. Search? When I can annoy thousands of people in a single bound!

Anyway, I thought the answer might be of use to others, which is why I generally post rather than searching in some cases if I've been watching the group for a while and know it's not come up in the last few months.

[Harry Bloomfield]

on 12/10/2004, Ian Stirling supposed :

I saw something about such a scheme for Scotland on TV. It mentioned upgrading older systems to modern standards, but I didn't take all that much notice so sorry no more details than that.

[fred]

Sure, that's ok, glad you noticed the smiley . . . .

Does eaga have what you are looking for? A relative has just had a gas CH system fitted for free to replace and early under floor electric system which had long given up the ghost (it was a requirement for the grant that there was to be no _working_ CH system). Although the system was designed down to a cost rather than up to a spec (limited o/p non condensing combi) and the install was a bit fast & furious (I had to balance it properly) she is a v happy bunny.

[Ian Stirling]

Apparantly, someone will shortly (few weeks) be arranging a visit. I think it was indeed through EAGA.

Wonder if I could turn up at the appropriate time, and supply the difference for a condensing boiler. (pity in a way it hadn't gone after they became mandatory)

[fred]

In article , Ian Stirling writes

You can always ask I suppose . . . . .

The first 'survey' visit is no such thing, but really just an admin exercise, "yes this biddy really is over 65" etc + explaining the scheme + formally applying. The checks to see if you have a truly unrepairable system are carried out on another visit, then comes the installer visit where you can ask for extras (we had a couple of extra rads).

Btw: If you are applying under the same system that we did then do make sure that the system is well beyond repair ;->, if it works at all, even intermittently they walk.

Also, it takes a while, don't expect to have an installed system before the end of January.

[Ian Stirling]

I think I can confidently say it's not working, being in many, many seperate bits on the kitchen table.

I was intending to repair it myself, until the pensioner in question heard of this scheme.

[alan.holmes]

----- Original Message ----- From: "fred" Newsgroups: uk.d-i-y Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 11:15 AM Subject: Re: Pensioners free central heating repairs.

Haven't read this before as I've been off the net for a while due to a massive breakdown, so please be patient!

Are you saying that pensioners can get free heating repairs?

I'm in my late 70s, oh alright then, I'm 77, and I've just paid out over £700 to have a new control system fitted.

Should I have been able to get it free?

I was going to email this but there's no valid email address.

[Colin Wilson]

Don`t count on it. The mother in law had problems with one of the air=20 ducted things and went through EAGA. The heating would run for one cycle=20 and then fail. It could only be reset by removing power from the thing=20 and reconnecting it again. It was powered via some odd arrangement of=20 socket that I didn`t recognise (and I served my time as a spark), and the= =20 connections on it were, at best, worryingly intermittent.

Because it would run for one cycle, it is classed as working, even though= =20 it was obvious it was faulty - and under the terms laid down by the=20 government for EAGA to operate, once someone decides its working, you=20 can`t have another inspection for (IIRC) TEN YEARS. It failed completely=20 within 2 weeks of this "inspection", and she was without hot water for=20 over 8 months.

We did write to her MP, but the response was there was nothing she could=20 do.

On the other hand, it might be worth contacting them in your case, as=20 they might be able to sort out some free draught insulation work.

--=20 Please add "[newsgroup]" in the subject of any personal replies via email

--- My new email address has "ngspamtrap" & @btinternet.com in it ;-) ---

[Dave Jennings]

[e-mail] yik-yakked:

Hi,

My mum's ( 75 ) heating broke down last December due to the boiler just giving up the ghost. I had read about the Govt backed EAGA scheme so found out what I could and yes, being a pensioner and having owned her home for over 12 months she was eligible to have her heating repaired or replaced for free.

The catch is that, even with a total breakdown, is takes an average of

6 months for the grant and the subsequent work to be carried out. There is no fast track approach taken by EAGA. We contacted our local MP who was very good at helping, but it made no difference at all to the timescale.

The upshot was that Mum bought a few electric heaters to run, she had a living flame gas fire, went on an extended holiday in January and then used the heaters etc when she returned from her travels. In May the entire heating system was replaced, she had cavity wall insulation installed, draught excluder strips fitted to all doors and all for free.

She was delighted, but the fact that EAGA take so long is ridiculous. I'd even asked EAGA if we could get the work carried out by their approved contractor, pay for it and have EAGA retrospectively pay us back just to get the installation done ASAP but was told no.

So, yes it's available, but it's not in any way a fast process, believe me.

HTH.