Prosecutor Jill Derby told the court how, “The home-owner found broken windows and the kitchen door lock damaged. A boiler, washing machine, cooker and cooker hood had been stolen.” Forensics officers also found pliers on the scene and DNA on the tool matching Deakin’s.
Defending Mr Deakin, Rory Macmillan said, “Blood found on broken glass got there because the defendant was interested in renting the property and had looked through the window, cutting his neck. On a seperate occasion, Deakin saw two men he knew standing outside the property.”
On this occasion MacMillan added, “They told him they had broken in and were going to steal a combi-boiler but they couldn’t get it off the wall. He stupidly agreed to enter with the young males and help them to remove the boiler. Then he left them to it.”
Deakin also admitted breaching a conditional discharge by stealing copper wiring belonging to BT and he further pleaded guilty to stealing Paco Rabanne aftershave worth £37 from Boots in Grantham on December 23.
As a result, magistrates have handed Deakin a 12-month community order including ‘Thinking Skills’ programme. He has also been ordered to pay £500 compensation to the homeowner and £170 costs.
]]>Boiler cover is a type of insurance designed to avoid expensive repair bills, whilst offering householders 24/7 emergency assistance if their gas boiler breaks down.
How much does it cost?
That depends on the offer. An example would be the basic emergency boiler cover from the AA costing £16.48 a month. It covers 4 boiler breakdowns a year (plus unlimited cover for labour, parts and material), up to £250 towards the cost of a new boiler and an annual service. Extras can be added, such as central heating and electrics cover.
Is it covered under my home insurance?
Boiler repairs can form part of a home insurance policy but usually as an “extra”. Esure’s home emergency cover costs £53.99 a year, as a bolt-on to either buildings or contents insurance. It’s wise to check your policy before buying, just to ensure you don’t double up.
Do I need boiler cover if I am renting?
No, your landlord or lettings agent are responsible. It is just worth checking what kind of cover is in place and requesting the emergency phone number should you need it at any time.
What are the pitfalls if any?
Don’t be persuaded to buy any cover you don’t need. In October 2011 HomeServe was forced to suspend sales following allegations of mis-sold policies, such as those to council tenants who are not responsible for the maintenance.
]]>Mr Bentley also admitted that employees have “a tough gig”, adding, “We are facing a crisis of trust.” In the email, which was meant to boost morale, Mr Bentley said he was “relieved” that he did not have a swimming pool at his £1.8 million Twickenham home after the chief executive of E.ON was criticised for installing one at his £2.5 million property.
“All our call centres are under extreme pressure from angry customers struggling to pay their bills, and the vicious spiral of call-waiting times that have shot up in services and energy, is causing even more customer anger.”
After attacking the media for “running a campaign against the energy companies”, Mr Bentley admitted that British Gas must take action over the deals the company offers. “We’ve got to start doing things differently so that customers, and our colleagues, can see a marked difference,” he added.
Mr Bentley finished, “We have a number of initiatives planned over the forthcoming months; better deals, simpler tariffs, bills that are easier to understand and more transparency, all of which are designed to rebuild that customer trust.”
]]>A legal battle ensued following a series of problems and the firm eventually agreed to pay the three brothers £5,000 to have a new boiler installed. Ryan is convinced other residents in the development have suffered from the same problems and has had more than 20 e-mails to back this up.
The brothers were also paying bills of around £800 a quarter to heat their newly built home, as the faulty system struggled to keep the modern house heated and broke down on numerous occasions. Problems also continued after Crest Nicholson first agreed to replace the boiler.
The Mills brothers took Crest Nicholson to the small claims court and were initially offered an out of court settlement of £2000 on the condition they did not speak to anyone about the case. This action however convinced them to take the case to court where they were eventually awarded £5000.
A spokesperson for Crest Nicholson said, “The case of Mr Mills is a one-off situation, which does not apply to any other properties at Port Marine, Harbourside or any other Crest Nicholson development.
]]>In 2010, as flurries of November snow meant an early Christmas for thousands of children up and down the country, npower received 62 per cent more calls from homeowners caught short and in need of boiler repairs. This figure rose by a further 71 per cent as sub-zero temperatures plummeted as low as minus ten degrees in the subsequent weeks.
It is thought that the increase was most likely due to problems with condensing boilers, which became the standard UK boiler system in 2005. Although condensing boilers are generally 10-20 per cent more energy efficient than non-condensing boilers, the systems are prone to freezing up in winter as their pipes typically run outside of the house, leaving them exposed to the elements.
December 2010 temperatures broke 100 year records, so as forecasters predict sharp frosts and heavy snowfall, npower is encouraging homeowners to complete some quick and easy checks to help prevent a boiler breakdown so they can enjoy the festive weather.
These checkes include; insulating, re-routing, replacing or thawing the condensate pipe, keeping your heating on constant and keeping your boiler maintained. Just by following these simple tips, homeowners can stop worrying about their heating system and get outside and enjoy the snow (when it comes!)
]]>Although newer central heating systems are extremely efficient and are not susceptible to faults, that doesn’t mean they are invulnerable. Three of the more common problems are listed below. If it becomes apparent the problem is unfixable, call a central heating engineer immediately.
The first, and most common, complaint is that central heating systems won’t turn on. The most likely cause is the pilot light has stopped working. In this instance, you need to check the instructions and relight it.
If you have a leaking pipe, you need to address it immediately. The most likely pipe to be leaking is the overflow pipe – which goes through the wall or roof allowing water to escape when the tank gets full.
Cool radiator issues could have numerous origins. If the rest of your central heating system is working, make sure the thermostatic valve is fitted and open enough for water to pass into the radiator.
Find out more about free no obligation boiler engineer quotes now.
]]>As well as installing boilers, the retailer will also be offering a service to upgrade existing boilers to high efficiency boilers. The service will initially be for mains gas customers, which make up 85% of all heating systems.
The boilers come with a five-year parts and labour guarantee. Customers can choose from either a combi, which offers instant hot water, or a conventional boiler with a high pressure hot water cylinder option for more powerful showers.
One of the benefits of the new service is that an indicative quote can be given over the phone. If the customer decides to get a boiler Tesco will send an estimator to survey the property and the written quote will be sent by post, thus avoiding the hard sell that customers often experience.
Prices for a fully installed new boiler start from £1,999 including VAT. It is the aim of the service to provide an affordable alternative to other suppliers, including the largest providers of boilers.
Find out about free no obligation boiler engineer quotes online now.
]]>Instead it generates energy from solar panels and underground pipes. Heat is trapped by the £70,000 triple-glazed windows and 35cm thick insulation.
The eco-friendly vicarage costs just £100 a year to run, compared with the average dual fuel bill of £1,293. It did cost £500,000 to build, but Rev Kendall, who moved in two weeks ago with wife Kate and their three children, believes it will be an almighty saving in the long-run.
He said, “It’s an investment for the future which will eventually pay for itself several times over. At the church we are very proud to have built the greenest house in Britain.”
Rev Kendall used to pay £2,000 a year fuel bills at the old vicarage near the Church of Saint Mary’s in Kingswinford, West Mids, but admitted: “The old vicarage felt colder inside than out.”
The new building is so well insulated that in summer blinds will shade the windows to prevent overheating. Adrian Speller from the building firm behind the project, Speller Metcalfe, added “The costs of building eco homes are currently quite high, but eventually they will become the norm.”
Find out more about saving energy with your boiler and central heating system.
]]>The survey monitored 100 families over a period of 10 days, recording 2,600 showers, or 2.6 per family per day, in total. The technology used in the study calculated a shower lasting eight minutes to use approximately 62 litres of hot water.
Despite using more hot water than previous studies suggested, the average shower still compares favourably to the average bath, which uses around 80 litres of hot water. Unfortunately, the data revealed an alarming problem: power showers use twice the energy and water as the average bath.
The Research and Development wing of Unilever carried out the study. Dr Hilde Hendrickx, a behavioural scientist working at the firm, said, “We know that 95% of the associated greenhouse gas emissions are related to people [using] our products because they have to use hot water”.
The study ought to be reviewed with interest by UK households, who spend around £416 a year on daily eight-minute showers. Spending £918 for the same time, families with power showers ought to be even more interested.
See our top 10 tips for saving energy with your boiler and central heating system.
]]>The firm’s parent company, Centrica, is on course this year to make a £2.6billion profit. A British Gas spokesman said, “Budgets are stretched, customers are looking for value for money, and if we’re going to remain competitive and offer the best prices, we need to reduce our costs.
“We have reviewed resource levels in our services business, and are now proposing a reduction of around 850 roles. We are focusing on management and support roles and will work to ensure high levels of service.”
A further 500 jobs are to be lost in Northumberland after Rio Tinto Alcan announced the closing of it’s Lynemouth aluminium smelter. There are fears too over a further 100 jobs, after the company revealed it was in discussions over the potential sale of the power station at the site.
The firm will now be conducting a 90-day consultation with staff and unions.
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