I had been interested in weaning off oil for our central heating and hot water for a long time and couldn't find an alternative I felt happy to replace it with. The tipping point came when some friends in Corston mentioned that they had just had a system installed and were very happy with it. I quizzed them on performance, appearance, financial aspects and their impression of the installers (Summit Energies Ltd.), and everything came out strongly positive, so I contacted the installers and was led through a thorough three stage assessment process (initially free of charge).
It turned out they had ways to overcome all the obstacles I imagined would be problematic (old stone built house with relatively poor insulation, microbore pipes etc. etc.), and in the end the decision to go ahead was reached with minimal heart searching.
Installation took place a fortnight ago and we are delighted with the performance of the new system. The team who did the work were great, not just on the technical side but also on communication - and clearing up!
The initial cost of installation is paid by the client, then financial support kicks in through the Renewable Heat Initiative, which makes automatic payments into your account every three months for seven years. The payback eventually covers almost all the basic outlay, but not any ancillary work you choose to add on such as radiator upgrades. We chose to have just one radiator changed for one with a higher output.
If anyone is considering installing a similar system, we would be happy for you to come and see it 'in the flesh' and answer any questions.
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