We have had to replace a few boilers recently and thankfully at £2000 a go it isn’t something you want to do often. Inevitably the question arises about how long a combi boiler should last.

It depends on the make, model, its use, its maintenance and servicing. The minimum expected lifespan of a combi boiler is 12 years. Glow-worm boilers are designed for a minimum expected use of 15 years and Worcester Bosch Greenstar boilers have an average lifespan of 12-15 years. That said, we have heard of boilers still working after 40 years! However it is important to ensure the boiler has annual servicing and maintenance throughout its life.

All boiler manufacturers offer a minimum of a two year parts and labour warranty and in some cases up to five years. Worcester Bosch boilers come with a ten year warranty on the primary heat exchanger and a five year anti-scale guarantee on the domestic hot water heat exchanger. If you use an accredited installer you can benefit from an extended guarantee – in the case of Worcester Bosch five years.

An almshouse is a private house which is used normally for the purpose of providing accommodation for older people who would pay no rent or a token amount.

There are around 1,800 almshouse charities in the UK including here in Glastonbury which collectively provide accommodation for around 36,000 people. Do almspersons occupy the property as licencees or tenants? How can almshouse arrangements be terminated?

For purposes of law, almspersons are not tenants and are therefore considered licencees. More details can be found here

In order to validly end an arrangement made with an almsperson to reside in an almshouse, it would be necessary to serve a valid Notice to Quit. The provisions of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 should be kept in mind. Section 5 of the Act states that no notice by a licensor or a licensee to determine a periodic licence to occupy premises as a dwelling (whether the licence was granted before or after the passing of this Act) shall be valid unless—(a)it is in writing and contains such information as may be prescribed, and(b)it is given not less than 4 weeks before the date on which it is to take effect.

No rocket science, complicated algorithms or the need for a spreadsheet here is the formula for what customer experience really is:

R – E = CE

Reality – Expectations = Customer Experience

If you can make reality exceed expectations you have a positive customer experience