which boiler?

[G. Lasagne]

I am in the process of testing 2 different offers in my local paper and would really appreciate it if you could answer this poll

points to note

band a boilers are 91% efficient
band b boilers are 87% efficient

both offers inculde TRV's(radiator valves),wireless room stat and a magnaclean(a filter which collects sludge etc to protect the boiler)
Also the baxi boiler won Which and corgi boiler of the year 2008.
please imagine your not rich business men/women ;)

[crossdaz]

Vokera band a boiler with 5 year warranty and servicing for £1700

I'm assuming your servicing includes parts as well?

[Steve Cool]

Gas, me and you (you an I for the pedants) are sort of in the same game, heating-cooling, what's the difference?

What i have found is that if someone needs an air con unit (boiler for you) changing, they need it changing and they need it changing fast and cheap. No one budgets for when the things pack in, they just sort it out when it does.
Energy efficiency and warranties don't come in to it. Fast and cheap, that's what most punters want.

Steve

[G. Lasagne]

crosssdaz - the boiler includes a 2 or 5 year warranty on parts and labour with the manufacturer and a 2 or 5 year servicing only agreement with my company.

Steve - i totally agree with your point of view, more and more people are driven by price. Think about what you budget/save for, its normally a new car or a holiday but never a new shiny baxi boiler, i think for most people its just a box on the wall that heats the hot water and radiators, and as long as it does the job people dont care.

[crossdaz]

crosssdaz - the boiler includes a 2 or 5 year warranty on parts and labour with the manufacturer and a 2 or 5 year servicing only agreement with my company.


The 5 year warranty would sell it for me - I'm not worried about a boiler breaking down in its first two years but after that I would be. Any cost saving can soon be wiped out with a costly repair bill?

However, the point about price is a valid one. Most people will be looking for the cheapest option - provided they have heard of the make then warranties and servicing will be a secondary consideration.

Most people will have heard of vodkears (or whatever it is called) so will assume it's a good make. I've never taken much notice of whether anything is recommended by Which? to be honest.

[Kev Jaques]

I think there is something valuable missing from the poll.
By putting the names of those boilers up you are assuming people know of them, however it's very likely some may never have heard of them.

If they are researching a boiler for their property they may well look into the makes available but as you are looking at this from a news paper ad, it might not be on some peoples minds but the value or promise of lower heating costs would be.

Therefore I would use the premise of lower cost, efficiency, longevity and then offer a choice of 2 boilers and also comparisons but that is beyond what you could add in a newspaper ad and more for the call/meeting/leaflet.

I still believe quality is a main driver or value for money rather than cheapest wins. It may be (for example) a question of the band b boiler is slightly less efficient but lasts 10 years longer so still offers value for money.

[cjd]

I'd probably want the Vokera a with 2 year warranty which isn't an option for some reason.

(Actually I'd prefer a Bosch)

[UKSEOAgency]

when we got ours done, we went for a worcester-bosch

despite the awards, I had only heard bad things about the baxi at the time and as such wouldnt trust one ;)

[Pilfo]

Doing a boiler swap tomorrow...Worcester 28i Greenstar Junior with wireless remote programmer and room stat, to include Spiratrap filter. Condensate to terminate at soakaway. Also changing lead at meter for 22mm copper.

Total cost = £2000

Pilfo

[Matt1959]

tricky one - I voted the cheapest Vokera. However, my perception of Vokera is that its crap and I would prefer something like a Worcester. BUT when faced with a boiler replacement, I'm thinking of what I can afford to physically pay and I would hazard a guess that I'm with the majority. IMHO its only the ones with plenty of money who think of efficiency when it comes to things like this....

[G. Lasagne]

I think there is something valuable missing from the poll.
By putting the names of those boilers up you are assuming people know of them, however it's very likely some may never have heard of them.

If they are researching a boiler for their property they may well look into the makes available but as you are looking at this from a news paper ad, it might not be on some peoples minds but the value or promise of lower heating costs would be.

Therefore I would use the premise of lower cost, efficiency, longevity and then offer a choice of 2 boilers and also comparisons but that is beyond what you could add in a newspaper ad and more for the call/meeting/leaflet.

I still believe quality is a main driver or value for money rather than cheapest wins. It may be (for example) a question of the band b boiler is slightly less efficient but lasts 10 years longer so still offers value for money.

This is a very good point, but good you just advertise "High efficiency combi boiler" or whatever, do you think its too misleading if i dont put the name of the manufacturer

[MrsPWN]

If I was looking for a boiler and saw your ad I would want to do my own oline research into the makes, so not naming the boiler wouldn't work for me and I probably wouldn't call you BUT I would look on your website if the details were in the ad.

I think this has been a really interesting thread but it just shows how different everybody is and you can't please everyone, like gercam's handbag site revamp thread..everyone gives different advice, all good advice but so much of it!

[skyhi2]

Very interesting results so far GA.

Taking a step back,and looking at the offer from " outside " the game,maybe i would have gone for the cheaper option.

Also,i would most likely go along with Mrs P and do a bit more research first.

Branding may have been important at one time,but in these credit crunch times,it`s probably not an important factor now.

Skyhi2.

[G. Lasagne]

If I was looking for a boiler and saw your ad I would want to do my own oline research into the makes, so not naming the boiler wouldn't work for me and I probably wouldn't call you BUT I would look on your website if the details were in the ad.

I think this has been a really interesting thread but it just shows how different everybody is and you can't please everyone, like gercam's handbag site revamp thread..everyone gives different advice, all good advice but so much of it!

Yeah i agree, its been a great help though, but i am steering towards the "best value for money deal" not basing the advert on the product, and in my experience there isnt much difference in quality anyway, its all about the name, everybody has had good and bad experiences with all the makes and models.

i used to have an old rover 216 which was fantastic i had no problems with it, i now have a top of the range golf, which i bought because of the reputation of vw. In the first 6 months it has been back for a new windscreen wiper motor, and some valve start leaking radiator fluid.

The reason im going for the cheaper option is this:

I currently have the baxi with 2 year offer in the paper for £1649(inc vat) which is a cracking deal it is some £600 cheaper that the alpha boiler offer, but that offer is a half page ad and has an 8 year warranty (no servicing offer), remember they are booked out until jan with theres.

This week i have had 5 calls

call 1 : does the price include pipework i have no radiators i will buy the rads if you supply the pipework.

Answer : it will be much more that the offer due to the extra materials and labour, but i can give you a quote if you like.

There reply: i will call you back


call 2: Im very interested in the offer, but i have a back boiler can you still do it at that price.

Answer, no but i can give you a quote with a more value for money boiler

Reply: ok


Call 3: exactly the same as above

Call 4: went out done the quote and got the job,

call 5: went out done quote but when given the choice of the vokera with 5 year warranty, they took that one instead.


From the calls i received it is becoming obvious that people are mainly price and warranty orientated. so i think i will tweak the baxi offer and keep it in for another 2 weeks and then try the vokera one, be rest assured i will report back with the results.

Remember i dont live in London i live in north tyneside which isnt a particularly well off area,

[MrsPWN]

Ooh, does that mean you have a sexy Ant n Dec accent :eek::p;)

[G. Lasagne]

sexier, and im better looking ;)

[MrsPWN]

Way hay, think my boiler needs servicing :p do you charge for milage?

[Kev Jaques]

Wyaye Man ;) Divvina Heck Ya Snout man ;)
I know Seaham, parents were from there, got relatives all around Tyneside :)

[G. Lasagne]

Way hay, think my boiler needs servicing :p do you charge for milage?

Depends how you want to pay;)
and are you really talking about your boiler;)

[MrsPWN]

TBH I don't even think I HAVE a boiler ;):eek:

[G. Lasagne]

TBH I don't even think I HAVE a boiler ;):eek:

What do you have then? electric heating?

ok which do you want the baxi or vokera :D

[MrsPWN]

We have big quilts and fluffy socks :eek: no gas in our village and no way of running off LPG so will get electric ones eventually. At the moment we have a bloody big log burner and thick skins lol. The 2nd year we lived here my then 14 yr old was the youngest sufferer of chilblains the Dr had ever seen :redface:

[G. Lasagne]

Dont think i will expand in to your village then, i cant drive a tram either:)

[G. Lasagne]

Just had a 30 minute conversatin regarding the baxi offer, a guy telling me he can get the boiler and parts etc for x amount and how come its so much, and cant i do it any cheaper etc etc.

Just makes me think that the cheaper opton is the best even more.