Green Deal MSE Guide Discussion

captainhindsight_2

EricDeeson wrote: »

That's EXtremely useful, Captain - many thanks. I also appreciate your honesty and wish to avoid conflict of interest.

Please let me have the w-address of the green deal participants register that you mention: it clearly differs from the one I found on the Green Deal main website which, as I say, lists only four installers for the West Midlands, none of which are in the West Midlands, and only eight or ten "providers", only one of which is in the region!

Many thanks again - Eric

http://gdorb.decc.gov.uk/green-deal-participant-register

The search function isnt great but this is where all certified companies are listed, in the west midlands it shows 441 installers and in the North West it shows 480 installers.

Hope that helps.

EricDeeson

This is the site and search facility I used before, but now, I agree, I indeed find FAR more installers claiming to be West Midlands than then. Not sure what I did wrong last week....

As you say, the system isn't hugely helpful (as firms' actual whereabouts aren't shown and not all has a website); also one can't search for firms offering two or more services (eg external wall insulation AND PV panels) - but a couple of hours with phone directories, phone enquiries, and phones should get us somewhere!

Very many thanks again - I guess the same applies to Yorkshire for the other unhappy person in this context.

Cheers - Eric

henmuffin

I'm in Oxfordshire and have had the same problem. The site doesn't work and I have wasted time contacting firms who don't cover my area, don't do what I would require ( glazing) and even don't do the Green Deal despite being on the register. It is a shambles

EricDeeson

SCREAM!!!
I just spent half an hour on a detailed considered Quick Reply posting to Henmuffin's, and pressed Post Reply ... which lost me all that work.
SCREAM!!!

In essence
* Captain Hindsight (posting a couple of days above) is right to recommend
http://gdorb.decc.gov.uk/green-deal-participant-register
* This does not apparently, however, list all installers in West Midlands as I want (and as he says can be done): it lists all installers claiming to be able to service the West Midlands in each of the many Green Deal categories.
* Nor do the listings give where the firms offered are based.
* Henmuffin's done more than I - she says the list includes firms not Green Deal registered (is that with the "Registered firms only" box ticked I wonder?).

This is what I have to do, it seems, after a day's unproductive work on this at least already:
* Use that site to get a West Midlands list for each of the four GD categories I want.
* Copy each such list and paste it into Word.
* Sort the new long list alphabetically by firm, so I can delete all duplicates (though I'd code those as possibly being more likely to help our situation).
* Sort the new shorter list by phone numbers, so I can delete all those not in the West Midlands and those not giving a landline number.
* Approach the dozen most likely firms.

Then I recall why I got this sub-thread going - I found four West Midlands installers and approached them all, though none is in this region. One isn't accessible by email, phone or fax; the other three did not reply, despite reminders.

I could go through the above despite being horribly busy. Say GD ends up by saving me £5000 and I spend 25 full days on the search (not that I can afford that) and my time is worth £100 a day - is the GD worth it?

And *I* am fortunate in being IT-literate, well educated and well experienced ... what about more vulnerable home owners, eg elderly people with weak IT or even no IT access? Whatever method they use to find an installer - will they end up with a cowboy/girl and be charged 50% above the market rate for possibly shoddy work?

GD may not be a scam, but it's certainly not well designed to be customer-friendly.

I hope Martin Lewis picks this up....

Cheers - Eric (still SCREAMing)

highguyuk

EricDeeson wrote: »

SCREAM!!!
I just spent half an hour on a detailed considered Quick Reply posting to Henmuffin's, and pressed Post Reply ... which lost me all that work.
SCREAM!!!

In essence
* Captain Hindsight (posting a couple of days above) is right to recommend
http://gdorb.decc.gov.uk/green-deal-participant-register
* This does not apparently, however, list all installers in West Midlands as I want (and as he says can be done): it lists all installers claiming to be able to service the West Midlands in each of the many Green Deal categories.
* Nor do the listings give where the firms offered are based.
* Henmuffin's done more than I - she says the list includes firms not Green Deal registered (is that with the "Registered firms only" box ticked I wonder?).

This is what I have to do, it seems, after a day's unproductive work on this at least already:
* Use that site to get a West Midlands list for each of the four GD categories I want.
* Copy each such list and paste it into Word.
* Sort the new long list alphabetically by firm, so I can delete all duplicates (though I'd code those as possibly being more likely to help our situation).
* Sort the new shorter list by phone numbers, so I can delete all those not in the West Midlands and those not giving a landline number.
* Approach the dozen most likely firms.

Then I recall why I got this sub-thread going - I found four West Midlands installers and approached them all, though none is in this region. One isn't accessible by email, phone or fax; the other three did not reply, despite reminders.

I could go through the above despite being horribly busy. Say GD ends up by saving me £5000 and I spend 25 full days on the search (not that I can afford that) and my time is worth £100 a day - is the GD worth it?

And *I* am fortunate in being IT-literate, well educated and well experienced ... what about more vulnerable home owners, eg elderly people with weak IT or even no IT access? Whatever method they use to find an installer - will they end up with a cowboy/girl and be charged 50% above the market rate for possibly shoddy work?

GD may not be a scam, but it's certainly not well designed to be customer-friendly.

I hope Martin Lewis picks this up....

Cheers - Eric (still SCREAMing)

What measures are you looking to install?

EricDeeson

external insulation, roof insulation, PV panels, since you ask!

captainhindsight_2

EricDeeson wrote: »

external insulation, roof insulation, PV panels, since you ask!

By roof insulation do you mean loft insulation, flat roof insulation or room in roof insulation?

Also you do not need one installer to do all the measures

Also if you read my post I said the search function doesn't work, but that link is the only place that shows a full list of all approved companies under the green deal.

As many companies don't show up when you search their actual postcode including mine.

Another route is to contact an energy assessor have the green deal assessment done and if it is a good assessor they will usually be able to pass you on to installers who offer those measures in your area

EricDeeson

"By roof insulation do you mean loft insulation, flat roof insulation or room in roof insulation?"

None of those in fact, Cap'n - it's all the bits of the roof spaces not covered by the rooms in the roof (which HAVE been insulated).

Thanks for the rest of your email - Eric

jamiem1976

Ok, so you will all probably hate me for this as its been said about a million times im sure, but just want opinions if i may!

Basically, i have an issue with my boiler losing pressure due to the expansion vessel being damaged. I used to have the Scottish Power Boiler Care cover until yesterday where they have told me that due to the age and depreciation of the boiler its now become too uneconomical for them to repair (they value it at £250, to repair is £500 - although £300 of that is labour charges).

So, i am now in two minds.

Firstly, do i just get an external expansion vessel fitted, cost approx £300 (probably less), or secondly, do i bite the bullet and go for a new boiler via this Green Deal Scheme?

Things that are putting me of replacing whole boiler is that the house is unlikely to be my forever house, will more likely than not to move within next 2-4 years. How much of an impact will this "debt" have on the sale with any potential buyers picking up the tab? I doubt i would be too keen paying for a boiler for 10-25 years with only a 7 year warranty, especially if i was buying the property. I mean, they may end up needing a new boiler in year 8 which means they will in effect be paying twice?

It seems a good offer it really does, but i am stuck as to what to do. Head says repair, heart says replace. Any views?

Boom_Boom

Can you get a new roof under this scheme?