Why you can’t afford to buy cheap?

“I can’t afford to buy cheap”. That simple phrase really resonated with me and has stuck with me ever since I heard it from my uncle – who many years ago, in communism run Poland was wearing Hugo Boss suits and doing rather well for himself. He used to reply to people accusing him of being a snob: “I can buy cheaper, but then I’ll have to keep buying the same thing over and over again. Quality is nicer and last much longer”.

Very true when you think about it for a minute. Cheap is quick. Cheap is dirty. Cheap is disposable. Cheap breaks. Cheap costs money. It costs money to fix, it costs money to replace. Cheap seems like a good idea at the time but cheap fails when you most need it. Cheap is flimsy and unsatisfying. Cheap is inefficient. Cheap gets in your way. Cheap costs you time and it costs you customers. Cheap always cost you more in the end. That’s why I can’t afford to buy cheap. Can you?

Are you wearing the cheapest clothes and shoes that you can find or did you spend more than you had to? Is the office equipment you use, like your PC, the cheapest available or did you spend more because of special features and benefits? Is your car a £100 old banger which is only just roadworthy or did you spend more for prestige, comfort, speed and what it says about you? When you had lunch today, did you buy the cheapest thing on the menu or the lowest priced sandwich or did you treat yourself to something a little bit special? Sure you may love a bargain – who doesn't. But what you buy often isn't the cheapest. There's some element of value which has convinced you that it is a good idea to pay more than the minimum.

And how exactly is it all relevant to central heating and boiler installation?

New boiler / central heating installation cost is a bit of a sore point amongst responsible heating engineers. Obviously no one wants to pay through their noses – and that applies to pretty much anything. In addition, paying a lot does not automatically gaurantee quality. And “value for money” is a very elusive term.

Customers often ask us for a “simple boiler swap”. Unfortunately, the simple boiler swap no longer exists. Not legally anyway. Fitting a new boiler means complying with an avalanche of restrictive rules, regulations and instructions, and many of these are EXPENSIVE to observe. The net result is that Bestheat quotation for a fully compliant replacement boiler can make us look as though we’re trying to rip off our customer, when we’re not. The potential new customer remains suspicious particularly when they have another estimate for half the price from someone willing to take all the short cuts. Quality of boiler alone is yet another issue. We tend to recommend Vaillant and they are one of the most expensive boilers on the market, but are a classic example of getting what you pay for. That – compared with more “relaxed” and possibly uninsured installer – can make us less competitive on paper. But can you really put a price on safety and peace of mind backed by 10 years manufacturer backed guarantee? Yes, you can, and that price can be found under “total cost” on any Bestheat quote.

The other problem that crops up is the ‘cowboy customer’. The one who says they don’t care about the regulations and asks us to do a quote ignoring the regs and doing it the cheap way, because they don’t mind if it is going to save them bags of money. Well, at BestHeat.co.uk we care about the regulations. We’re the ones being asked to commit the offences, and we just don’t do it. What would be the point (apart from to get the work)?

So there we are. We understand the realities of current economic climate and the need for real value but we’ll refuse to compromise on safety and quality. We have negotiated best possible deals on a range of excellent Vaillant gas boilers with our suppliers and put together budget packages representing true value for money.

If someone can do it cheaper and inevitably someone can, than we don’t particularly want to know and wish you good luck, as you probably going to need it (in spades).

 For further information contact Bestheat.