Free Boiler

[#1]

Free Boiler, is there a catch ?
http://energetixgroup.com/index.php/why-we-are-different/

[#2]

The catch,  it's using the same method as used for free solar panels.
While they may give it to you for free,  they collect the feed in tarrif, once the cost of the unit is covered, your generating pure profit for them!

[#3]

But is that a catch?
There's nothing secret or hidden, in fact they say that once the installation cost is paid off you will benefit from the feed-in tariff too (though no numbers are given yet as to how its shared)
You could do it yourself; this is presumably aimed at those who haven't the time/energy/motivation/whatever.
We'll need a new boiler soon, might be worth investigating........  

[#4]

It's certainly worth looking into.  Sure they may gain from the feed-in tariff but that doesn't put you at a dfisadvantage.

[#5]

Looks interesting.With a team headed by Clare Spottiswoode as Non Executive Chairman . Financial backers include  Aviva PLC  with a 20% stake.
But the bottom line is Energetix are currently loosing cash at the rate of around £2m per year following a £12m startup in 2007(*), with a turnover of £154,000 in 2011
* more has been raised subsequently
Summary: Energetix are 'giving' a free boiler in exchange for tying 'subscribers' to a collectively purchasing agreement.
Conclusion: Once the boiler is installed, if 'they' fold you've lost nothing .

Quote

Spottiswoode – The United Kingdom is the largest boiler market in the world. There are around 1.5m gas boilers installed each year, with approximately 85% through a distressed purchase. That means on average over 4,000 boilers may be installed today, with these customers facing bills of between £2,500 and £3,500 for a replacement gas boiler. In today’s economic climate many will find it very difficult to pay this emergency bill. We want to help customers, at the same time we would like our Kingston boiler to be the de facto standard for replacement of these conventional systems. By taking up the offer of a free boiler the customer will save typically £1,500 on day one, only paying for the installation. The customer will need to commit to our long-term gas and electricity contract, which we intend to track to the cheapest standard tariff of the big 6 energy suppliers; so we should be very competitive.

[#6]

Who pays to mend the boiler when it breaks down?
They always do, sooner or later, usually sooner.

[#7]

Simply take out a service contract

[#8]

Who owns the boiler?  If it is Energetix in the event of company failure the Administrators might sell the contract on to a third party. I presume you are contractually tied to energy supplied through them, as a consequence have little control over the amount you pay per KWH. As to selling locally generated power the rates for that are politically controlled and could change at a moment's notice. If you rent the property no doubt your landlord will have to agree the contract. In effect this is very much your own personal PFI contract where you add management fees on to the top of the costs of a service which you can easily provide yourself.

[#9]

Another catch - to generate electricity it will use fuel which you pay for
http://www.claverton-energy.com/what-is-microgeneration.html

[#10]

Energetix haven't given any detail for the scheme yet.  They need to do so before any conclusions can be drawn.