boiler and housing association

[crowsashes]

i was wondering if anyone here knew if a housing association has a legal requirement to install a new boiler for a more energy efficient one as mine was installed in 1994 ( the instillation sticker and service history is on the side of it) that makes it as old as my sister and its probably the least efficient thing in my house!

now ive been having trouble with it ( pressure drops several times a month) it randomly stops working then starts again yet nobody seems to want to replace it the do come out and fix it but wouldnt it be more cost effective to replace it with a new a rated one than forcing me to keep waiting for weeks on end for new parts or an engineer to come get them?

ive checked my tenancy but theres nothing in there about it, just getting things repaired but the repairs are happening more frequently

anyone have any suggestions?

[seasidegirl]

I don't know the legalities i'm afraid but am sending sympathy because I had the same problem with my private landlord at our last house. They just don't want to spend money updating anything and when the tenant is paying the higher fuel bills because of inefficient boilers why should they? The daft thing is your landlord is wasting so much money on repairs.

Have you tried Citizens Advice Bureau. I'm sure they will know all your rights.
Also you should keep on at them about it I think and see if there is a tenants association.

Good luck.

[Nomada]

I'm in a similar situation but I'm not sure how much there is that can be done sorry, I don't know I doubt they have to do anything because of its eco unfriendliness but they really should replace it just for the way it's always breaking. Try welfare rights perhaps?

[Russian Doll]

no they dont hun sorry ive been fighting with mine to have my water system over hauled for a more eco friendl one as well

you could try warm front....

[marshlander]

Looks like Warm front is no help in this case

"Financial assistance for improving energy efficiency in a rented property
The government provides some financial assistance to landlords and tenants to help improve the energy efficiency of
their rented properties.

Landlords Energy Saving Allowance (LESA)
Private landlords who pay income tax can offset up to £1,500 of spending on some energy efficiency measures (per dwelling, not per building). The qualifying measures are loft, cavity, floor or solid wall insulation, draught proofing and hot water system insulation.

To find out more, contact your local authority or HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) enquiry centre. You can also find out about tax relief on property improvements on the HMRC website - Opens in a new window.

Warm Front
If you have tenants in England claiming certain benefits, they may qualify for Warm Front, a government scheme that helps people struggling to pay fuel bills. Grants of £2,700 are available (£4,000 if the dwelling has oil-fired central heating), but the tenant must make the application. The landlord does not need to be eligible.

Warm Front is not available to housing association or local authority tenants. Find out about financial assistance on the Warm Front website - Opens in a new window."

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/ac ... 1082194829

Perhaps you could see if your landlord knows about the tax relief above - he will have to produce an energy efficiency certificate to any new tennant in the future and having an inefficient boiler would count against him.

[crowsashes]

thank you for that, im with a council/housing association and already have the cavity wall, loft insulation etc as i pestered them for it my problem is the boiler, they keep repairing it and im regularly having to top up the pressure ( much more than i should have to) no one at the council seems bothered by it, several times the engineer has suggested the boiler should be replaced but no-one seems to do anything

its just frustrating.

[Green Aura]

Can you get an independent heating engineer to inspect it? If it's deemed unsafe and a notice slapped on it to that effect the council will have to do something about it.

[Flo]

It's all a case of money folks. The council or housing association as appropriate may at one time have had a policy of replacing boilers every 10-12 years but this has degenerated into not replacing said item until they can no longer get the spares.

Your abode may well have to be included in what is known as the "planned maintenance" programme for boilers in your area to get a new one. And even then, if the spares are still available expect to be axed from the programme until whenever.

Been there with the kitchen here. Even the maintenance project planner laughed at the size and design of it. But he had 500 kitchens in a worse state than mine so I'm still waiting despite having lost one cupboard to the gas meter which means that my dry stores live on a bookcase somewhere else. And that is probably the basis of the problem with your boiler.

[jampot]

we had a similar problem to this . when we moved into the house that the H/A had extended quite dramatically for my disabled little bro they put in new rads and a new boiler it never got up to temp and my little bro (on the end of the line) had a freezing cold bedroom and bathroom when he was the one who needed the extra heat ! 3 months in the boiler broke down and was fixed a few more months and it broke again ,this carried on for oh 5 years or so then last october it started its funny- noises- im- gonna- break- again thing this time the new heating contractor told us the boiler was only meant to service 6 rads ( the original number) not the 11 we had now!! thankfully we pushed and pushed and now have a new bigger capacity ? boiler and a warm house for the first time since we moved in. so kick up a stink and get them to really look at the boiler situation you only get anything from H/A if you shout , unfortunately

[crowsashes]

im already kicking up a fuss over the 1950s-ish kitchen, id post photos but im embarrassed by the state of it im constantly on the phone to them about getting tiles put around my bath, the rising damp in the bay window. the lack of window locks on the little ones room ( theres a rad right under the window so he can climb up and hang out the bloody thing) anywhos i will add the boiler problems to the long list in a email and phone call tomorrow! if they dont send out an inspector then i will have to get really really annoying

[jampot]

oh yeah the kitchen ceiling is rotting thru and the bath above it will likely fall on us one day ...and the cracks in the walls,...and the dodgy windows...and the broken fence......etc etc but hey one basic human need/right at a time eh!

[liskeardjane]

hi crowsashes!!!! news from plym city council - they have a rolling programme of replacing windows, doors, heating systems - which housing association are you with? if it's ocean you're screwed if it's devon and cornwall, there's a rolling programme - all of the housing stock will be upgraded but no one will get 'repairs' done for a while as the plan is to refit most houses to the regulatory standards - (news from hubby in housing in the civic centre - he works in housing benefits but has good links with 'housing' which was all given/sold to the HAs)

[crowsashes]

im with the new plymouth community homes, ive been told there are upgrades coming but was also told that could be up to five years away ill still give them a call to find out whats happening.

[marshlander]

Did you get anywhere, crowsashes?