Biomass boiler insurance

[cowboysupper]

Our 99kw boilers insurance is up for renewal soon. Currently with NFU Mutual but we'd like to consider some other options. Don't particularly like the fact that they require a maintenance agreement. We would get our boiler serviced regularly despite the agreement.

Does anyone recommend other insurance companies?

 

[MidlandFarmer]

Nviro insurance are good

 

[NABrok]

Of course we missed the boat but next year maybe?

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Are you insuring just the boiler or loss of earnings fromX number of yrs of RHI lost?

 

[NABrok]

We have bespoke polices with insurers that cover everything form the boiler itself, breakdown & RHI. If you visit northernalliance.co.uk you can find more information on there. I would post a link directly to the site but I don't want to get in trouble with the moderators. Or you can call on 01924 232910 for free impartial advice.

 

[Still Farming]

Most prob.ok when systems new but older ones less likley to get cover maybe ?

 

[warksfarmer]

Are you insuring just the boiler or loss of earnings fromX number of yrs of RHI lost?

The NFU can't do any more than 2 yrs under loss of revenue. We are currently trying to find someone who will insure the Rhi for the duration of the agreement.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

that's interesting. Its one of the main points I need to bring up at our next meeting. Its sad times when your boiler is worth more in income to you than all the farm land that surrounds the farm buildings!

@warksfarmer if you have any luck sourcing some one else I would be keen to hear the details

 

[Still Farming]

The NFU can't do any more than 2 yrs under loss of revenue. We are currently trying to find someone who will insure the Rhi for the duration of the agreement.

Most prob. Rotten in less than 10yrs not 20yrs rhi term ???

 

[ste]

I know most of these are for commercial but does anyone cover domestic?

 

[warksfarmer]

Most prob. Rotten in less than 10yrs not 20yrs rhi term ???

I think that depends a lot on the make of the boiler, the maintenance agreement and the fuel being the biggest variable.

 

[neilo]

Why would you lose the RHI if the boiler went pop? Surely you'd just replace it with a new one, which that insurance would cover, and you'd still be satisfying the terms of the RHI agreement?

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Why would you lose the RHI if the boiler went pop? Surely you'd just replace it with a new one, which that insurance would cover, and you'd still be satisfying the terms of the RHI agreement?

Sadly not. It's all down to serial numbers. If someone rocked up and stole your boiler one night they take the RHI with it I think. Hence the need to insure the loss

 

[neilo]

Sadly not. It's all down to serial numbers. If someone rocked up and stole your boiler one night they take the RHI with it I think. Hence the need to insure the loss

I am looking to replace my pellet boiler with another. I got on to DECC and they confirmed it was OK to do so, as long as I replaced it with an accredited boiler, had it fitted by an accredited installer and informed them of the model and serial number. They confirmed that the RHI would continue on the same tariff, for the same term, rather than start again on a newer/lower tariff.

That's on the domestic scheme, but I suspect it would be the same for commercial as the same principle applies.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

I am looking to replace my pellet boiler with another. I got on to DECC and they confirmed it was OK to do so, as long as I replaced it with an accredited boiler, had it fitted by an accredited installer and informed them of the model and serial number. They confirmed that the RHI would continue on the same tariff, for the same term, rather than start again on a newer/lower tariff.

That's on the domestic scheme, but I suspect it would be the same for commercial as the same principle applies.

That's interesting and good to hear, I was advised this would not be th case some time ago which is why I am paranoid on maintainance etc.

It does seem a daft rule to be honest - anyone else heard of this? @pennine biomass ?

 

[warksfarmer]

Sadly not. It's all down to serial numbers. If someone rocked up and stole your boiler one night they take the RHI with it I think. Hence the need to insure the loss

Basically if you need to ring the insurers up your boilers burnt down, this means a claim for a new boiler. This insurers will send an assessor and it will all be clearly documented. You will get a pay out to replace it.

The rhi is against the serial number so you could replace the boiler and move the old serial number plate across but you'll be funding the replacement yourself as you can't have any documentation anywhere suggesting you have replaced the boiler.

What needs to happen is the boiler gets 'repaired' but then your asking the insurers to bend the rules.

Personally there's no way around it, you need to insure the potential loss which includes rhi, heat costs in the house or sheds, grain drying costs or however you use the heat. This is massive amounts of money if your at the beginning of the 20 yr life of the boiler.

 

[dannewhouse]

I am looking to replace my pellet boiler with another. I got on to DECC and they confirmed it was OK to do so, as long as I replaced it with an accredited boiler, had it fitted by an accredited installer and informed them of the model and serial number. They confirmed that the RHI would continue on the same tariff, for the same term, rather than start again on a newer/lower tariff.

That's on the domestic scheme, but I suspect it would be the same for commercial as the same principle applies.

why are you wanting to replace existing? not up to the job? warn out? cant have been in that long if your on a domestic tariff?

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Basically if you need to ring the insurers up your boilers burnt down, this means a claim for a new boiler. This insurers will send an assessor and it will all be clearly documented. You will get a pay out to replace it.

The rhi is against the serial number so you could replace the boiler and move the old serial number plate across but you'll be funding the replacement yourself as you can't have any documentation anywhere suggesting you have replaced the boiler.

What needs to happen is the boiler gets 'repaired' but then your asking the insurers to bend the rules.

Personally there's no way around it, you need to insure the potential loss which includes rhi, heat costs in the house or sheds, grain drying costs or however you use the heat. This is massive amounts of money if your at the beginning of the 20 yr life of the boiler.

That was exactly my thoughts. Makes sense all though a stupid rule in some ways.

 

[neilo]

why are you wanting to replace existing? not up to the job? warn out? cant have been in that long if your on a domestic tariff?

It's been in since March 2012 (so before the domestic RHI started). It's an MCZ and has been nothing but trouble due to being badly designed. I've been changing ignitors every 3 months on average, which is only a 10 minute job and they have been supplied (& kept on the shelf) under warranty up until now. The installer went bankrupt in the Spring, to avoid warranty claims, and restarted the next day, so would now have to pay for the bits to keep this lame duck limping along.

If it wasn't for the RHI, I would have pulled it out and put an oil boiler in long ago, but to be fair, if it wasn't for the RHI, I wouldn't have put it in at all anyway. To keep the RHI coming in for another 5 years, I need to have a pellet boiler running, so planning on replacing with a more reliable make (Easypell/Okofen), which I probably should have in the first place.

 

[neilo]

You guys haven't got me worried at all......

I'm just off the phone to DECC, before paying my deposit on the new boiler. They confirmed that the scheme will just carry on at the old tariff rate if I change the boiler, as long as the new boiler is on the eligible products list. All I need to do is drop them an email with a copy of the invoice or MCS certificate once it's done, to notify them of the change.

Mine is on the domestic scheme. I did ask if the same was true on the non-domestic scheme, but that's a different department so he couldn't tell me. I'd certainly be making a call before I shelled out on an insurance premium to cover lost RHI income.