Don’t know if anyone else has the same issue but I have a back boiler which I always explain in the notes when I order a gas safety. However, the company that picks up the job never reads the notes as they then ask what boiler I have. I explain that I have already told them but reiterate that it’s a back boiler upon which they (usually) then decline. That said, last year after exchanging at least three messages where I informed the company it was a back boiler, they turned up but when “discovering” that it was a back boiler they demanded extra money to do the work. I refused so they left - very unprofessional. The problem with OpenRent is that they asign the job to another “company” but I know from the standard exact same message I receive asking what the boiler is that it is actually the same company who then go onto decline. OpenRent should have a form of tick box showing what the boiler is so that companies definitely know this before they obtain the work. Also if a company declines then they should be removed from the list of companies who can bid for future work from that landlord. Currently I am on my 5th company for this gas safety (I think it’s actually the same company using different names) and I know that tomorrow they will decline. If they do then I will stop using OpenRent for gas safety and will look elsewhere.
the easy solution is to appoint your own gas engineer, even many LLs with a common boiler dont rate OR trade services.
the tradesmen from openrent have little to lose so more likely to do bare minimum, you have no relationship at all and they will probably never return, the local gas engineer will get to know you and is far more likely to value your business and so act more conscientiously..
Online it’s reported back boilers cost more to service than standard boilers (see below).so the company asking for more for your job are actually being perfectly normal.
Anyway why cant you use whomever you got to do the job last year?
It’s simple - don’t use OR there are lots of complaints here and you have no idea what company you are getting or their quality as no reviews to look at or contact details before they are assigned to your job.
Find some trades you trust and stick with them, even if they aren’t the very cheapest. “You get what you pay for”
Good luck
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Back Boiler Service Cost
Back boilers are among the most expensive to service, with costs ranging from £80 to £160 depending on complexity and accessibility. They are installed behind a gas fire within a fireplace, which makes them significantly harder to reach than a wall-mounted boiler and increases the time required for a thorough inspection.
It’s just a gas safety rather than a service so not really much more involved than with a “standard” boiler i.e they need to remove the coals and unbolt the front - not difficult. I’ve had gas safety’s on this boiler for 16 years without issue and it was only last year that this other company arrived on the scene and gobbled up all the work (they always win my other properties - standard combi’s). They are definitely spoofing with names and I have reported to OpenRent and asked this company to stop taking my jobs on (all of them). I did try once before contacting a company that had undertaken a gas safety the preivious year (through Openrent) but they wanted a ridiculous amount (two or three times Openrent’s price) to do the work so I didn’t proceed. That said, I have just directly contacted last year’s company to see if they will work on the back boiler.
well I like your ‘it’s just’ and ‘not much more involved’ hopeless optimism. It is still extra time and it’s time you are paying for. There’s a reason a site about boiler costs says back boilers are more expensive to deal with- because they are. If it wasnt true someone would charge the same rate as for normal boilers - its a market.
Good luck with getting a decent price from last year’s company.
Best
Bit more than hopeless optimism as I have practical experience of back boilers so I know what’s involved - it’s really not much more work than a combi but is a bit more fiddly I know. As I said, up to two years ago, I didn’t have any issues with finding people to work on the back boiler. I decided to give Openrent one last chance and in a 12 hour period, six companies picked up and then rejected the job - obviously these were the same ones that mucked about last time. I’ve now cancelled the job with Openrent. In parallel, I reached out to independant companies - one want £150 (Openrent £55!) but another £75 (that’s reasonable) so I’ve gone with them - will see how they perform.
If it’s old you might be able to get replaced for free under ECO4 grants
(You may be looking at that anyway as to rent from 2030 you’ll need EPC of C )
Good luck
I very much doubt whether the government will give me anything but I will look into that!! It is is my plans to get rid of the back boiler and install a combi as I worry that it will fail and being obsolete will be a massive problem to replace. Best to be proactive I think and act before I “need” to.
On the subject of EPC C, I think the goverment (whoever that will be) will have to back track on that as it’s just not practical for (some) older houses. Really stupid idea in my opionion. By all means insist that all new houses/modifications require to be at a certain thermal efficiency level but to try to make Victorian houses meet modern standards is just not practical.
They do already have exemptions for older properties where it’s not practical or would cost too much
(From the consultation that closed march 2026)
-if not possible to do without spending more than £10k
-if freeholder doesnt give permission (eg for external wall insulation or heatpumps that need a hole in structure of wall)
-if tenants dont agree (ends when tenants move out tho i think)
-if only item left to do on an EPC is wall insulation
-No further recommendations on EPC or from an approved report showing no further improvements possible, and the property remains below the standard
Good summary here https://theindependentlandlord.com/new-epc-rules/
But a new govt may well drop. Trouble is thats too close to the deadline - election could be called as late at aug 2029. Latest date to get EPC on current (easier) method is oct 2029, after that will be new tougher method where any fossil fuel heating system supposedly wont get a C. However govt has already rolled back by allowing gas boilers that break to be replaced with new ones and there may be too many rental properties using gas to suddenly not be rentable…esp if RRA has already reduced rental stock and driven up rents…
Best