THE FREE BOILER SCAM
Make it stand out
This story was Published in The Manchester Property Group June Newsletter.
Written by our Energy Angel Alli Johnson
You may have noticed activity has ramped up offering Free Boilers. Its all over TikTok, they are ringing your homes, posting letters through your door maybe even knocking on your door.
The devil here is in the detail
At present there is no funding that will “get a free boiler if yours is over 10 years old” that you will no doubt have seen advertised.
There are free boilers available but the criteria in VERY select
How do I get one then? I want a free boiler!
Let me explain the current funding out there and why they are misleading you.
Eligibility for the elusive Free Boiler:
You must be a homeowner claiming benefits which is the first part.
Now comes the detail:
If you are a homeowner and already have a condensing boiler regardless of if its 20 years old, you will NOT get a new boiler unless it has an efficiency worse than a non- condensing boiler.
If you are a tenant and already have any sort of boiler, you won’t be eligible for a free boiler.
If you are a homeowner or a tenant and the property has electric heaters, and there is a gas connection, you MAY be eligible for a boiler, all depending on the type and age of the electric heaters.
Cases like this are rare, however, to install first time central heating will burn less carbon than the electrical heaters so it makes sense to install first time central heating.
I have an old non-condensing boiler or a back boiler. Will I get a free combi boiler?
Depending on the Retrofit Assessment of the property, there MAY be a chance you will get a free boiler as the one in the property is not efficient.
Why are they saying I may get a free boiler then?
OK, so they are not directly lying, Advertising Guidelines do not allow this, however, they are grabbing your attention with something a small percentage of people MAY be eligible for to pique your interest.
Why?
Because there are other things you may be entitled to that do not seem as desirable as a new boiler.
If they said, get free insulation or a ventilation assessment, this may be ignored. Even though millions of UK homes are still not insulation enough or ventilated adequately.
Over the past 10 years we have been bombarded with “free this” and “free that” and we have become blind or bored to what is actually available.
Yet we hear or see the words “Free Boiler” and we want it. We REALLY want it. Your boiler is only 5 years old and its fine, yet you still want that free boiler.
The problem may not be your current boiler, it may be the fact that your walls, lofts and floors are not insulated so heat is pouring out of them, yet you still want that “Free Boiler”.
Here is the pinch:
You may not get that elusive “Free Boiler”, but they have your undivided attention, and deceptive or not this is still a good thing because there ARE properties out there eligible for FREE OF CHARGE energy efficiency upgrades.
Just don’t expect a free boiler.
If you are a portfolio landlord who rents to tenants on benefits, give me a call.
I will explain what we are looking for and what you may be entitled to due to your tenants eligibility and I will not mislead you. Plenty of landlords are being mislead.
If you know of any homeowners claiming benefits, (including pensioners on Pension Credits) give them my details.
Finally: Retrofitting is not just about portfolio landlords and people claiming benefits. If you love this planet and would like to reduce the carbon your property is generating, give me a call.
We are working with a large number
of private homeowners across Greater Manchester providing retrofits for a variety of reasons. They are future proofing their homes, reducing their fuel bills AND saving the planet.
Published in the Manchester Property Group Newsletter June 2024