Oh for heaven's sake!

[auntieannie44]

Yesterday I had to take a friend who has Dementia to the eye clinic.  I got a rather frantic phone call from her first thing saying that her heating and hot water had gone off, she had phoned the Hydro to sort it but couldn't go to clinic if they hadn't come.  I arranged with OH to house sit if necessary but he wasn't required.  I arrived to collect her just as the man was leaving, so I enquired what the problem was.  It seems that the boiler is dead on its feet, he had cobbled it together for the time being but it wouln't repair again.  I was then given a phone number for an organisation called HEEPS which he said would be helpful in the circumstances.  So off we went to the clinic where she got a good report and told to come back in 1 year. Considering I have my serious doubts if she can remember 10 mins ago the thought of her keeping tabs for 1 year was impossible.  I asked if they could mail her a reminder nearer the date, no they couldn't but they could give me a duplicate of the app. letter so I could keep tabs!   So back we came and I phoned the number given, oh joy, I went through the wringer, did she have a letter from DWP about her benefits? according to Pauline she didn't have any!  I knew she got something but was not sure what so I casually asked did she have a letter?  I was then showered with every copy of her bank statement she could find, none of which were helpful, eventually we decided she must get pension credit . I was then asked for the boiler make and model, ok a quick sprint to the boiler room to find that.  What did the engineer say was wrong with it?  According to him it is Terminal.  Very sorry we can't help because that make of  boiler has a  very good rating and they can only help with boilers who have less that 86 rating.  But the boiler is dead, yes but it has a good rating, it is terminally ill, it cannot be repaired again, I know but it has a good rating so we cannot help, if it had a lower rating we could help with funds for a new one.  Can anyone explain this to me because I certainly haven't got a clue what they are on about and trying to explain this to a lady with serious dementia was a nightmare.  Eventually I left her slightly calmer after explaining she could use the heating until it died again, and after that I would try and source a new boiler for her. Is it just me?????

[stroppy*cow]

You could try an internet search for Warm Front. Might turn out to be the same scheme that you have already tried, but they might be able to help

[cee-dee]

"The Warm Front Scheme ended on 19 January 2013. "

https://www.gov.uk/warm-front-scheme

[mustard-tree]

I think there was an advert on tv recently for something called Affordable Warmth

[right-then-petal]

Here,s the link

http://www.boilergrants.co.uk/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=affordable%20warmth&utm_cam...

[myraandjim]

we had a new boiler and an extra couple of radiators installed under some scheme a couple of years ago (we are in Scotland). The boiler is great, but the damage the company did to the house in a number of rooms was very expensive to fix, and the company concerned just kept saying "we don't make good" like a stuck record! I swore I would never allow anything "free" to be done again as I think it would have been cheaper to pay for the boiler. I did complain to the sponsor company as well as the contractor company, but nobody was interested., I still have one ceiling to get repaired but have managed most other repairs