Free Boiler Scheme (ECO4)?

Just wondering if anyone on here receiving benefits has used the apparently government funded ECO4 scheme to have their boiler replaced?
I have a combi boiler that's nearly 25 years old and often plays up. I have Homeserve boiler cover, but the latest renewal price for the cover has gone up to nearly £500 for the year. I've tried to find out if under the ECO4 scheme I could get a new, free combi boiler - I just cannot get a simple yes or no to this question though! From what i've read, I could definitely get a heat pump system, but i don't want one, I want another combi boiler. When i've tried to ask companies doing the installations, they skirt around the issue and just want to get me to let them organize the funding so they can get paid. All I want to know is what's the real deal with this "get a free boiler" scheme, does anyone know?

Thanks in advance

Hi Gary,

Thanks for getting back to me. I think, now having done a bit more research, that the answer to my question is that the scheme wouldn't cover replacing a combi boiler with another one - from what I can tell, it only applies to having one of the newer, environmentally friendly type heating systems (ie, air source heat pumps etc) and is for people who are off the mains gas grid. I'm going to write to my energy supplier (Scottish Power) to verify, but it doesn't look like it's for replacing an old combi boiler for a new one, even though social media would give that impression (as soon as you start doing searches on the subject, you get spammed with companies offering to replace a combi boiler with another one, but I don't trust them!)

Just for info i had a 30 year gravity fed boiler and tried to get info from my local council to see if I could get it replaced and like you in an old house i didnt want a retrofitted heat pump. The council environment officer says they wont have their scheme up and running until february and couldnt give me any help. When I phoned someone she suggested they said they didnt replace boilers only fitted insulation. She then said shed get back to me after contacting my energy supplier to find out if they would help me out. My energy supplier never rings me back and not sure if Id qualify anyway. Having asthma and being unable to face another freezing cold winter with a half working heating system I ended up borrowing the money on a credit card (no doubt Mel Stride will check my bank account and say Im living in the lap of luxury now). Anyway just wanted to say in solidarity with you its been a nightmare trying to get info and the upshot is I didnt get anywhere so much for the green agenda.

So true gary. I put in for a grant for insulation several years ago, the company took the govt money and when I called for the insulation said it was too late. The govt dont seem to oversee all these schemes just make announcements to look like they are doing something