@cathoderay This is my first post ever to anywhere.

I am also totally bewildered by Eco4 installation. No idea whatsoever so I have reduced the temperature on the little portable thermostat gadget to 5C and appear to have switched it off at last.

The whole installation has proved to be awful. I wanted it to work, didn't go round looking for things to complain about but I found quite a few. Didn't expect a TV style makeover, just a tidy job and instructions about operation, possibly in words of one syllable with pictures.

The insulation works were carried out with little respect for my home,  on the cheap and as fast as possible. I was told very abruptly  I had no choices, no say in anything, I was getting it for nothing so be grateful. But someone is paying so they deserve a proper job for their money. Some of the damage to fixtures reduced me to tears as so unnecessary.

Then the heating. Absolutely no idea how it works. It replaced electric convector heaters and  a solid fuel range which heated domestic water and cooked food, no central heating.

What surprised me is that there seemed to be no overall plan before work started so there are surface mounted copper pipes bent round an electric socket outlet, a radiator installed in the shower area, since moved,  another radiator less than a metre from wood burner which has been left in place. After a week long power cut I thought I needed some back up just in case

House is a stone built rural 3 bed + box room all in roof space. All I know about ASHP is that it is a split Samsung with lots of stuff and flashing lights in box room.

Think this post is to warn people, without being patronising I hope, to get as much information as possible, a work schedule, check on the contractors if possible. I didn't realise that there would be multiple contractors, most of them likeable but constrained by time and budget and possibly a healthy profit margin for all concerned.

I am sorry to hear about your problems.  

I know nothing about ECO4 but do know something about heat pumps which should be a factor of 2-3 cheaper to run than electric convector heaters.

I can try to help but you will need to tell us about 

Your house (size, shape, age, level of insulation/

How and when it was previously heated

Have you now got radiators and do they have trvs or not

What do you know about the ashp system that has been fitted 

Without some of this very basic info it's going to be difficult to help.

Of course I appreciate you may not want any attempts to help and may just be trying to warn others about ECO4.  That's fine too.

@jamespa Thanks for reply, didn't know what to expect.

I did want to warn about Eco4 but also accept that I should have asked a lot more questions.

However, it is the ASHP system that worries me, scares me, so afraid of possible electricity costs.

All I know is that it is a Samsung split system, no idea about output.

Radiators fitted with what I assume are TRVs - labelled radbot1.

There is a large cylinder, Kodiak made by Joule, a small illuminated panel on the front reading 

set 50.0, current 40.6. No idea what this means, be pleased if you could tell me.

Kodiak was installed because water supply is untreated from a well. C rated, 78 w, 189 L.

House was insulated in December with ECO4 scheme.

The house is single room width, all rooms in a line with a lean-to covered by a cat slide roof, no previous central heating, ancient solid fuel range  and wood burner only.

Don't know what I am doing wrong. One day radiators are warm, next day cold although flame icon shows on gadget and I can hear it running. 

Be grateful for any info., thanks.

@dwynwen 

I too have an ECO4  installation. They have to be carried out on exactly the same basis as any "paid for" install and the main contractor is responsible for ensuring that happens. 

You should have had an initial survey followed by a complete specification and work schedule laid out on paper. 

On completion of each stage you should get a hand over with full guidance. ECO4 work does seem to be carried out be Subbies which can make things difficult 🙁

You can file a complaint with TrustMark if things are at that point .............

Maybe the first thing is to get the system set correctly to see if it does actually work as it should and people here can help with that,

@lenny 

Not sure if reply sent, iPad slipped from my hands and everything had disappeared when I picked it up. Will check in the morning, time for bed.

@judith @jamespa hello again and apologies for radio silence. I’ve been offline for a week… 

Thank you Judith for your encouragement. Yes, electricity consumption is  definitely less scary and is back down to affordable levels - just! I’ve been doing a lot of reading and research during last week’s down time and feel a little more than informed than when I first wailed for help on this forum… 

James, I’m starting to get to grips with the Senso panel and hope to come back to you this week with the info you asked for. I’m so grateful to you and everyone here who has put me back on track. 🙏

@dwynwen hello and welcome! You’ve come to the right place. I was in despair when I first wrote this post and ready to have the whole system taken out. 
It might be a good idea for we disgruntled Eco4 recipients to open a new thread in order to compare/contrast our experiences and try to help each other? I feel very embarrassed that I moan about something that I got for ‘free’, when many others on this forum have had to spend £££…

But I wholeheartedly echo your comments and have had a very similar experience to yours with my Eco4 installation. 

I hope you find some answers on here. I’m sure you’ll get lots of help, as I have, to get to grips with a system that is mighty complicated when compared to our old ones.

Jaynie

Posted by: @jaynieq

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I feel very embarrassed that I moan about something that I got for ‘free’, when many others on this forum have had to spend £££…

Being a recipient of 'charity' does odd things to our heads. As others have said, your installation wasn't free, it was just free to you, and someone else (taxpayer) paid. In my book, you are doing the right thing, for yourself, for those subject to other Eco4 failures, and the wider public at large (who paid) in bringing the failures to general notice. Even if it feels like you are moaning, you are still doing a public service. Good for you! 

Posted by: @dwynwen

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@cathoderay This is my first post ever to anywhere.

As others have said, you are very welcome here. Thanks for posting. As @jamespa has said, more info about your setup will help us to get to the bottom of things. If you are not sure what you are looking at, some photos might help. 

@jaynieq, as @cathoderay has said, you’re absolutely right to express how you’re feeling. Everyone, no matter their circumstances, deserves a system that works properly and meets the standards promised.

Unfortunately there are too many examples of poorly executed ECO4 installations, and homeowners like you end up bearing the brunt of it. It’s unacceptable, and it’s so important to speak up and compare notes with others in a similar situation. Sharing experiences not only helps us figure out how to tackle individual issues but also puts pressure on the companies and programmes involved to do better. I will be sharing this thread with some policy makers to highlight yet another subpar ECO4 installation.

@editor 
Thank you for your support.

@dwynwen you're welcome. Please feel free to start a new thread dedicated to your installation, so we can also advise on how and where to complain.