Eco funding - Glowworms scheme

[Ray Stafford]

Hi All

This came up in an earlier public thread, but I thought it might be better to keep it in the arms for now.

Glowworm have been sending out emails to their club-energy installers offering access to the ECO funding. I have been investigating, and so far as I can tell this is the process.

Joe Installer signs up for the scheme, which requires some paperwork upload.

He then pays £200 for stage 1 of the PAS2030 process. He has 6 months to get through this - essentially a paperwork exercise.

If he decides that he want to continue after stage 1, there is another £250 payable to Glowworm and £350 inspection fee to a third party. Total expediture so far is £800.

Assuming that he passes the inspection, he is then good to go.

Visit the property, and establish that the net income of the household, whether earnings, pension or benefit falls below £16k annually. Get proof of this and upload to Glowworm site.

Glowworm then give approval, and will pay a total of £1500 for the whole job. This includes VAT, so is really £1250.

Out of that £1250, Joe has to buy the boiler (must be a flexicom) and flue, and any other parts that he might need. Lets say thats £600 - he now has £650 for his labour, chemicals, powerflush (almost certain to be required), to install a magnetic filter, and to cover all the overheads, including his time jumping through the paperwork hoops.

The rules DO NOT specify that he has to powerflush or fit a filter, so I suspect that he won't, because the only way to make money at this lark is to bash 'em out, quick and dirty.

I can't see this working. The only good thing that I can see is that there will be a boom in a couple of years ripping out boilers that COULD have given 10 -15 years service if they had been fitted properly.

 

[Masood]

Couldn't agree more, Ray. I was gutted when I heard about this scheme but I've seen a few installations done through it and they are ropey as hell. I'd love to see what happens to warranty claims in a couple of years!

 

[chris watkins]

Hi All

This came up in an earlier public thread, but I thought it might be better to keep it in the arms for now.

Glowworm have been sending out emails to their club-energy installers offering access to the ECO funding. I have been investigating, and so far as I can tell this is the process.

Joe Installer signs up for the scheme, which requires some paperwork upload.

He then pays £200 for stage 1 of the PAS2030 process. He has 6 months to get through this - essentially a paperwork exercise.

If he decides that he want to continue after stage 1, there is another £250 payable to Glowworm and £350 inspection fee to a third party. Total expediture so far is £800.

Assuming that he passes the inspection, he is then good to go.

Visit the property, and establish that the net income of the household, whether earnings, pension or benefit falls below £16k annually. Get proof of this and upload to Glowworm site.

Glowworm then give approval, and will pay a total of £1500 for the whole job. This includes VAT, so is really £1250.

Out of that £1250, Joe has to buy the boiler (must be a flexicom) and flue, and any other parts that he might need. Lets say thats £600 - he now has £650 for his labour, chemicals, powerflush (almost certain to be required), to install a magnetic filter, and to cover all the overheads, including his time jumping through the paperwork hoops.

The rules DO NOT specify that he has to powerflush or fit a filter, so I suspect that he won't, because the only way to make money at this lark is to bash 'em out, quick and dirty.


I can't see this working. The only good thing that I can see is that there will be a boom in a couple of years ripping out boilers that COULD have given 10 -15 years service if they had been fitted properly.

And for a year or so after lots of Glowworm breakdowns / repairs - blocked heatx which no doubt they will duck out of doing themselves cos they weren't installed correctly in the first place !! Where is this money coming from Ray?? It wouldn't be the the poor old Tax payer again would it ????

 

[Ray Stafford]

Where is this money coming from Ray?? It wouldn't be the the poor old Tax payer again would it ????

As I understand it, we are all paying for it through our energy bills. So effectively it is tax-payers, in the sense that it is an indirect tax on energy usage.

 

[Barry98]

another way of the big man giving us a reach around while tackling from behind

 

[Masood]

another way of the big man giving us a reach around while tackling from behind

I reckon it's more like doing us from behind whilst someone else gets the reach-around... The work is all being snapped up by the big players and subbed out at stupid rates.

I don't even mind the concept of giving free boilers to the needy, but this scheme includes private tenants on unemployment benefits. So private landlords with feckless workshy tenants get free home improvements at the expense of the rest of us...

 

[theanalyst]

A guy I know keeps harping on about how much work they are 'about' to get off glow worm. he's just done his PAS 2030 etc
He says there is a huge amount of paperwork just to claim for each boiler though... As in several hours worth if he is correct in what he is saying. Sounds like a lot of work. Risk assessments for every job etc... basically a watered down version of ISO accreditation. I think as has been said the big players will continue to milk it and the little guys will be shafted.

Apparently, Vaillant has awarded the sole rights to the ECO scheme to ONE firm for several post codes in my area (doncaster being one of them). Its a fit up as usual

 

[Masood]

Apparently, Vaillant has awarded the sole rights to the ECO scheme to ONE firm for several post codes in my area (doncaster being one of them). Its a fit up as usual

Yep, same in my area. The really galling thing about it is that this company is now offering £50 to installers who, instead of quoting for the job, refer potential recipients to them.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Dear Club Eco member and valued Glow-worm customer,

We are pleased to inform you that after listening to your feedback, and due to the huge success of the current system, we’re about to launch our new FastTrack Eco Management System that will replace our current system. We have specially designed the new FastTrack system to deliver the following improvements to the Club Eco system.

• Faster approvals of fully qualifying work.
• Faster payment of fully completed and qualifying installations.
• Improved reporting and complete clarity on job status at every step of the process.

As you’re already a user of our current system, you’re amongst the first people to be invited onto the new system and to benefit from the slicker process.

The time table for the transfer to the new system is as follows.
On Friday 16th November the existing system will be closed to new jobs. At the same time, registration and submissions to the new system will be opened. New jobs can be lodged on the new system over the following week, but please note – new jobs from Friday 16th November will only be active on the new system from 25th November.

Existing work on the current system will be treated in the following way.

• All work at the pre-install stage will be checked and where evidence is found to be complete, these will progress on the current system. Any pre-installation jobs that still have incomplete evidence will be removed from the system. You will be required to resubmit these jobs fully completed onto the new FastTrack system.
• Any projects in Checked and Incomplete phase on the current system will be removed from the system. You will be required to re-submit these jobs fully completed onto the new FastTrack system.
• Dormant and Rejected categories will also be removed from the system, if they are not ready to move forward to installation.
• Jobs that have been approved and that are still within the allowable 14 day period for post install evidence submission, along with newly approved jobs; will continue on the existing system through to approval and invoicing.
• Jobs that have been approved but have run beyond the allowable 14 day period for post install evidence submission will be removed from the existing system. You will be required to resubmit these jobs fully completed onto the new FastTrack system if they are still valid.

New FastTrack ECO System
The new system guides installers through submission of pre-install and post-install evidence, and will guarantee a 2 working day approval process at both pre and post install stages. This, along with the strict 14 day window for installation and post install evidence submission, will mean jobs completed from start to finish in under 3 weeks.

The new system is easy to use and no extra training is required. It will guide you through a simple and efficient step by step process and boasts a new console that gives you a current view of your jobs right from first lodging evidence through to payment dates.

We are confident that you will see the benefits of this more efficient and faster system and look forward to working with you within Club Eco.

Many thanks from all at Glow-worm for your support to date.

Just in case you use this scheme but missed the email.