British Gas Combi Quote !!

[webrits]

My current Worcster combi is over 10 years old so I'm looking for a replacement. Seeing as British Gas were offering £400 discount I thought I would have them in for a quote.

Basically to replace my existing with a Worcester Bosch 32kw combi (which apparently is a 30kw boiler modified for BG to produe 32kw !) they want...... £2487.39....+ vat !!!
This is just to remove and replace the boiler only, in the same location ! Extras such as Condenstae drain, Earth bonding, Flue & increase the dia of a length of pipe etc bring the total to £3226 !!! Cough...Cough..!!

Surely they are taking the proverbial with that?? A 30kw Greenstar is around 850 to buy....where do they get these figures?

How much 'should' I be looking at from any normal installer for this?

Many Thanks,

Paul

 

[gas4you]

I would have thought around £2000 - £2200 + VAT for a simple swap and new gas supply etc etc.

 

[Agile]

BG means shareholders and big company expenses.

Not the same for the little man!

Generally take off about £1000 from the BG price!

Tony

 

[Waterworxsw]

I've even halved a BG price before and made a very healthy profit, They quoted just over £4k to replace a boiler, sadly the customer insisted on an Ideal Isar

Al

 

[webrits]

I would have thought around £2000 - £2200 + VAT for a simple swap and new gas supply etc etc.

But it's not a new gas supply, the £2487 is just a boiler swap !

 

[gas4you]

Extras such as Condenstae drain, Earth bonding, Flue & increase the dia of a length of pipe etc bring the total to £3226 !!! Cough...Cough..!Paul

I took this to mean the gas supply pipe.

Since when hasall of the above become extras? It's not as if you can use the new boiler without a flue etc

My approx guide included all of these as well.

 

[keego]

BG always work on a 1/3 cost of materials, 1/3 for labour & admin & 1/3 profit on all their work.

 

[marsaday]

i pay about £300 labour to swap a boiler over. my boliers are about £600. so i am looking at £1k tops. based in yorkshire so BG are big rip off merchants. i am a private landlord, so not putting in the top boilers. usually potterton

 

[gas4you]

i pay about £300 labour to swap a boiler over. my boliers are about £600. so i am looking at £1k tops. based in yorkshire so BG are big rip off merchants. i am a private landlord, so not putting in the top boilers. usually potterton

Bet they're not power flushed and commissioned properly at this price either

 

[sambotc]

In all fairness why should a combi change require a powerflush. To be honest IMO i think powerflushing is the biggest con available. Most companies charge anywhere from £350-500 a time for this, 90% of that is labour/profit.

Sealed systems shouldnt sludge up if they are not being topped up regularly due to a leak etc.

£300 for a day's work is more than decnt from where i'm from (devon/cornwall) and even if it ran over another half a day i would still be happy.

Commisioning is an hours work MAX anyway.

How have you managed to come to the conclusion that charging £300 labour for a simple combi 4 combi chop means the job isn't being done to the book? Not trying to cause a conflict, just curious.

We are starting to fit spira-vent's on systems now, and apparently some manufacturers will offer an extended 5 years on relevent breakdowns with these fitted. Anyone had any experiances? Only downside is there dam ugly!

Sam

 

[namsag]

Good points Sambotc. Cheap job does not mean it is a bad job same as dear job doesn`t mean a good job if people are happy making X amount that is there business

 

[mehran]

we do 1K combi swaps but that is based on putting in a very budget boiler in(£330 boiler)

some people really cant afford more some are just tight...in the end you get what you paid for.

 

[gas4you]

I always allow £600 labour minimum for combi swap. I always flush out as standard, chances are inhibitor has never been added in first place so there is usually crap in there.

Flushing guarantees the boiler warranty.

I also do not want to start an argument over this, we will all have to agree to differ. I won't fit anything other than the Vaillants as you all now

That could change though

 

[sambotc]

I fit alot of vaillants to but that's nothing to do with the labour price

It is blatently obvious when powerflushing is needed, black water coming out the hose when your draining down is a give away.

Rarely do i see water in such a state coming out of a sealed system unless it has been converted previously from an open vent system.

Your right it is a diferance in opinion, which we are both entitled to, but it's also a great earner for doing a very easy time consuming job with minimal materials and not much for the customer to see physically at the end, which is why companies like selling it so much!

All in my opinion of course.

Sam

 

[gas4you]

It is blatently obvious when powerflushing is needed, black water coming out the hose when your draining down is a give away.

I have to disagree with this point. Most of the systems I fit new boilers to have water that appears very clean upon draining, but once it is flushed with chemical I am still surprised when it comes out black or red rust