Best Buy Central Heating/Boiler Exchange. (Saving tips)

Member Name: Botmission

Product:	Saving tips
Date:	18/03/02 (2974 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Going private is comparatively cheap, You get the same system for a fraction of the cost

Disadvantages: No large company back up., Need to choose installers carefully

I?ve been a heating engineer for 23 years now. Know all the tricks of the trade, all the scams, where people are ripped off etc. This little bit of information will, hopefully, help you get a decent system at a decent price.

First of all, avoid British Gas. I was employed by them for 21 years, and made a good living out of them. They could afford it! British Gas systems and boiler exchanges are hideously expensive. Yet they are usually no better that the local firm down the road. In many cases, they ARE the local firm down the road, having been contracted out. Interesting when the locals, in one example, offered exactly the same system for 40% less, if bought direct!

Once upon a time British Gas could justify it?s prices because it had massive overheads, as a state owned lumbering giant, with all the land and buildings it had to maintain. But these have all disappeared, so all the profit now goes to the shareholders and the chairman and directors pockets. Not my money. I even buy my gas from another company. Which is another story. The internet is a wonderful thing?..

There are many well-established firms that will install and maintain perfectly adequate systems at reasonable prices. Try to avoid the special offers, usually 5 rad system for £699!?. This means you get cheap nasty rubbish. A decent system is not cheap, but expect to pay at least £2000 for a good small system

The most cost effective way to install heating, if you can?t DIY, is to get a qualified engineer to do a ?J?. That is, privately. (I don?t do it myself, I?ve made my money out of a nice little share save scheme). Ladies on the street often grab me, with requests for my services! Unfortunately they only want me to put heating in for them ;-). There?s usually a gas man about?..

Often, compared to British Gas, privately installed systems/boiler exchanges can cost as little as 25% of their price, and you still get a guarantee on the boiler from the manufac
turer. You don?t get a comprehensive guarantee on the system however, but taking out a service cover arrangement can solve that, if you are a bit nervous!

Insist on a room sealed boiler. These are very safe appliances, and make the open flued boilers and water heaters on the past look like death traps! In fact, too many are. Make sure yours is checked!

Don?t go for too many gizmos, a simple system will cause you less trouble. Try to let the engineer put it where he wants to, it?ll probably work better!

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