MSE News: Green Deal launches to help insulate homes

Ken68

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/48086/1732-extra-help-where-it-is-needed-a-new-energy-compan.pdf

Richie-from-the-Boro

Arthur_Crown wrote: »

Part of the Green Deal and ECO scheme is called Affordable Warmth. I believe this starts at the end of March this year. If you are on certain benefits you can qualify for a replacement gas boiler if your existing boiler isn't working properly.go to 'affordablewarmthapply'

- its an extension of the current existing Warm Front Scheme due to end March this year
- eligible customers will be identified through the benefits system as they are currently
- and must be living in private sector rented housing or owner-occupiers.

jojooneill

Unfortunately I am not on benefits (but do live in one of the defined 'deprived' areas available for ECO funding in the North-East). Previously I would have qualified under the Carbon Saving Community Obligation for help as I am within an eligible rural area. However, this was changed in June 2012 by the Department of Energy and Climate Change to being within an eligible rural area PLUS having to be on certain benefits. Sneaky.

I rang up the Energy Saving Advice Line, as I have hard-to-treat cavity walls and this is part of energy companies obligations under CERO. I found out that unfortunately it isn't for my supplier as they aren't signed up.

Unfortunately there are no Green Deal providers in the North-East and only 4 installers (with only one being able to quote me for relevant work). In my opinion, based on my circumstances above, the Green Deal will not be of benefit to me. I do live in one of the 'most deprived' areas of the country but am in full-time employment; Green Deal may help many but it isn't for some!

GREENDAY

Have had a survey on my house from Nationwide Energy Services who have told me our house qualifies for free cavity wall insulation due to the age of the property. I have signed a contract with them for the work and the price has been agreed as £0. But I read on here that I will have to pay through my energy provider? This was not mentioned, no repayment plan has been agreed and my energy provider do not even take part in the scheme!

Very confused, should I just cancel as I have 7 days to cancel the contract.

Ecodave

If you have a contract that says the charge for the measure recommended is £0, then I should rely on that legal document to provide you with guidance on what the situation is as opposed to an Internet forum.

The Green Deal is linked to the Energy Company Obligation which provides grants for certain measures, or if the individual is on certain benefits. It seems likely that you have qualified under this scheme.

If you want some Independant advice, call the energy savings advice service 0300 1231234, or call the assessor back for clarification?

clarp

can anybody out there help. i have a solid concrete house called a 'no fines'. i hope to get a green deal to help with external wall insulation and an up grade on my old worcester boiler. can anyone offer advice and point me in the right direction. i have heard that there are substantial grants to get this work done.

Ecodave

External wall insulation is one of the measures that is funded under the Energy Company Obligation. The amount of funding that is being offered varies depending upon who you talk to, some have claimed that 60% of the cost can be funded currently, but I think the amount of funding offered may vary periodically. There is also a cash-back scheme in operation at the moment, offered by the government not by the energy companies or by the installers, so is actually a genuine offer!

However much is funded, any residue amount can be included in a Green Deal plan, or you could fund it in an alternative way, your choice.

You could start by organising for a Green Deal Advisor to assess your house, and conduct an Occupancy Assessment. This is likely to cost you £100 ish. Or you could ring one of the large Green Deal Providers, some may be offering the assessment for free, but check all the details, the free assessment may not necessarily turn out to be the best option.

The Energy Savings Advice Service is there to offer independent advice to those who may be interested in Green Deal, tel 0300 1231234.

Richie-from-the-Boro

HGS UK [Formerly Careline Services] were given £13mi££ion to set up the 'independent' advice by DECC to push the take-up of measures from the government's various energy efficiency initiatives, including the Green Deal ........... not what I'd call independent !

Nothing - nothing at all is what it seems at first glance with the green Deal. Absolutely everything is tainted, you have to scrape away at each element that makes up the scheme as a whole - do this - and you quickly find most of it is not what it seems to be.

Jobs in the solid wall insulation market were expected to rise where demand was expected to rise steeply, whether that ever happens remains yet to be seen. I for one don't believe that it will match or replace the job losses from parts of the cavity and loft insulation market are lost under the old scheme, it looks set to fail all three aims of its intended purpose :

- reduce UK Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions;
- address the drivers of fuel poverty; and
- maintain the security of UK energy supply

Its got till 2022 to run. The permitted max of 2%pa the industry can charge each year for inflation will almost certainly be added. I just can't see the 39,000 extra jobs being created by the labour intensive SWI happening ever let alone 2015 ad certainly not the expected 1 million SWI's being completed by 2022.

- I keep on saying lets have Green deal v4 / v5 / v6 or whatever it takes to do the job right
- the desperate need to address the thermal efficiency of particularly low income homes needs doing
- I'm not even remotely convinced this Green Deal is the tool for the job
- the CERT clock is ticking but the carbon savings have virtually halted since the old scheme was junked !

Ks2011

Its better to wait for someone to knock on regarding ECO funding (if no ones knocked on already, they knock at least once a month) regarding free loft/wall insulation. The green deal is a waste of time. If you work out how much you'll be paying in the 5-10 years you'll be paying it back it would double at least! Either get it fit yourself or move into a council house (solar panels, external wall insulation, double glazing and new boilers! All up to date)

Richie-from-the-Boro

Ks2011 wrote: »

Its better to wait for someone to knock on regarding ECO funding (if no ones knocked on already, they knock at least once a month) regarding free loft/wall insulation. The green deal is a waste of time. If you work out how much you'll be paying in the 5-10 years you'll be paying it back it would double at least! Either get it fit yourself or move into a council house (solar panels, external wall insulation, double glazing and new boilers! All up to date)

A loan, repaid through energy bills and permanently attached to the property so if ever sold, the debt stays with it. I for one am not sure anyone, even one anyone, would want to take on a property with someone else's 100%+ debt hanging over it. Future saleability, early repayment penalties, pre-loaded energy costs of between 6.9% and 10.9%, and and an asset unsaleable for 30 years is a good idea. Taking out a personal loan and repaying it as quickly as possible is a much better idea.

- borrow £3400.00
- pay back £8573.87
- daily interest would continue to accrue at 0.69 per day
- that's more than a 100% interest accrued over the 13149 day loan
- actual simple interest on £3400.00 would be £8573.87
- principal + interest would be £11973.87
- the home is likely to be unsellable and shackled till 31/01/2049