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Great 'Your Green Deal Tips - was it worth it?' Hunt
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MSE_Helen_S
Posts: 106 MSE Staff
Great 'Your Green Deal Tips - was it worth it?' Hunt
Have you had a Green Deal assessment? We want to tap the knowledge of MoneySavers who have tried it, to get your tips, and to see if it was any good.
Related guide: Green Deal Mythbusting
Click reply below to discuss. If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.
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No, it is a pile of rubbish as they don't even have the funding yet!
We had our assessment on 15th March at which point we were ready to go ahead with a new boiler straight away - we have been wanting one for several years but this made it more affordable. Two months on I had to chase for the report and upon contacting every single provider have found that I have to wait until the funding comes through. It would appear this is another of the Government's not so well thought out schemes...0 -
The week I read about the green deal grants our boiler broke down. It is fairly old and had been patched up a couple of times. A few years ago when the government did a similar scheme we qualified but then the money ran out so we never actually saw anything so I thought it worth pursuing the full grant.
I called the Energy Saving Trust who put me onto the next step. Overall the whole thing took weeks and weeks and that was "fast tracking " us because we were without heating and hot water at the worst time and my daughter has asthma. I did have to chase things up after we had the on site assessment and it seemed to me our paperwork had got lost somewhere. But in the end a lovely plumber came and installed us a new boiler and that was it. I am really grateful regardless of having spent the coldest, longest new year without heat (It was installed beginning of April).0 -
Just to clarify - you ended up with it entirely grant funded - with no add-on to your bills?But in the end a lovely plumber came and installed us a new boiler and that was it. I am really grateful regardless of having spent the coldest, longest new year without heat (It was installed beginning of April).0 -
rogerblack wrote: »Just to clarify - you ended up with it entirely grant funded - with no add-on to your bills?
If it was an add on to your bills, what is the total cost? Were you tied in to use a certain plumber? How did the cost compare to other RGI quotes if you had them?
I could do with a newer boiler but don't want to be tied into a certain provider/supplier if I can get a cheaper price and better service from a local RGI0 -
jimbo_the_jetset wrote: »If it was an add on to your bills, what is the total cost? Were you tied in to use a certain plumber? How did the cost compare to other RGI quotes if you had them?
I could do with a newer boiler but don't want to be tied into a certain provider/supplier if I can get a cheaper price and better service from a local RGI
You cannot use any firm - only the set who are either doing the whole green-deal in-house (large firms), or firms with some relationship in a collective that does.
Your local RGI may not be a member, and may choose to charge more for any work under the scheme if they do.
If you have the spare cash, or can get a loan at under 7%, and do not plan to move, then the green deal is really questionable.
If you are likely to move within the timescale of the repayments, then it's clearly less cash outlay upfront, but the green deal debt on the property may mean the sale price is reduced.
On a related matter.
The green deal is based around the idea that you will never end up paying more for your energy + green deal loan - than you were paying now.
How does this work in the case of a broken boiler - are you taken to be heating electrically?0 -
I applied for the greendeal and assessment back in February. Had the assessment mid April with a british gas assessor. Was told by british gas that once i had the assessment would be able to get the boiler immediately as I had explained i urgently needed a new boiler. Since then heard nothing back. Have phoned many times and each time told money not come through from government yet. Tried other installers that were meant to already have the funding. One said that they didnt accept the british gas assessment and would have to pay for their one!! Still got nowhere with others. It seems the companies are very happy to take your money for assessments and tell you can get boiler straight away but then are not interested. Extremely angry have wasted my money on this!!0
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I paid £150 for a Green Deal assessment through a local renewable energy firm. I'd just bought my first property, a c1900 mid-terrace, and was particularly interested in funding for external single wall insulation. I filled out a pre-assessment form explaining my circumstances and expectations. Knowing what I know now, they should have told me at this point that I was unlikely to receive any funding, but I guess they wanted their £150.
The guy who came to do the assessment was a really nice bloke and seemed very knowledgeable. He checked out the property then went through my circumstances with me again - single, not on benefits (although only just above the tax credit salary limit so hardly well off!), and what they class as a 'low consumption user'. This means, as I work all day and only use the heating on evenings and at weekends, the big energy companies were unlikely to offer me any funding as I don't tend to waste energy as much as a family with 3 children might. Never mind my below-par loft insulation or drafty walls, eh?
Anyway, my assessor also told me that the energy companies are being crafty and finding loopholes to meet the targets the government have set them, ie. only funding the things that cost them the least. At the end of the assessment I was told that I would probably get funding for loft insulation via a separate scheme to Green Deal anyway, and I may get partial funding for a new boiler (I don't need one). My single wall insulation is unlikely, although I may get partial funding if I'm lucky, which means I will probably have to find a good few thousand myself.
It took a further 2 - 3 weeks for me to receive the final report from him (had to chase a couple of times for it) and then I was told it could take another 6 weeks for the results of the funding options to come through. The 6 weeks are almost up and I'm still waiting to hear anything.
My advice to anyone considering this is think carefully, and if you're single or a working couple who are out all day, don't waste the £150 because it really isn't worth it.0 -
I registered in January and I am still waiting for an assessor to come out. Apparently there have been software problems, training problems, funding problems, you name it, they've had a problem with it.
I pointed out that I use solid fuel central heating and that I was already putting the least amount of coal possible in the boiler. When I asked how I would finance the work through savings on my electricity bill they said that I would be surprised when the assessor came out. I have already checked the cashback scheme and see that I can claim a maximum of £675 for external insulation, which will cost me about £10,000. The only surprise I would get would be if an assessor ever came to call.................0 -
Sightly concerned about this "paid money for assessment". Did you ask if there was a charge before they turned up?0
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I paid £100 for a survey to British Gas after following instructions on the website saying that I was more than likely entitled. We had to chase British Gas for the survey appointment, which was cancelled by them 3 times, and we were told there representative had to go on further training. When he arrived my partner gave him most of the answers he needed so he didn't do much. We eventually got an advice report on the 8 April despite starting this process when the green deal was announced and handing over £100. On the 11 April we spoke to BG and they said they were waiting for information and funding etc, and that they would get back to us, to date we have heard nothing. I think the best thing is to save the money and don't give away £100 survey fee as there is no deal at the end, not as advertised anyway.0
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