Green Deal MSE Guide Discussion

ninjaryder

tomhl85 wrote: »

One of the biggest issues for me for green deal is being sold on the "golden rule" you'll never pay more than what you're saving on your energy bills but that isn't true. You only slightly cover this in the guide in point 14, basically the savings are calculated on the average property rather than the individual circumstances of the occupiers which may change over the period of the loan.

I cant see people wanting to rent properties where they may have an extra £25 to £50 per month on their energy bills. I certainly wouldn't buy a house with a loan outstanding that i would have to inherit Id expect it to be paid off or deducted from value of the house.

Other issue is the amount of money it will cost energy suppliers to set up the system to charge customers for the loan on the energy bills, it will effectively increase the companies operating costs which mean these will need to be covered by future increase in energy prices for all.

Another government scheme that costs us all money in the end

But the rental property won't have higher energy bills as the improvements will save the same amount as the repayments + the property will be warmer for the tenant surely ?

keith_har

Green_Joe wrote: »

Something that's worth considering is: having the Green Deal Assessment and be able to see the recommended options, along with the extra consumer protection etc. and then paying for the work to be done by a Green Deal Provider BUT using finance that you can get cheaper elsewhere (e.g. via your mortgage or a loan from your family). Going this route you'll still be able to get the early adopters Cash-back but without the extra cost of the GD loan...assuming of course you can get your hands on cheaper finance elsewhere.

Final point: ECO money may pay a large grant towards solid wall insulation for homes in rural areas - even if you are on average or above income. The ECO part is not getting the press it deserves I think.

Unfortunately I believe this is wrong. The Green deal is very misleading. I have just bought a new house in desperate need of modernisation, which I have savings in the bank to do. I rang the energy advice service and got advised the only way to get government help these days was green deal.

So I got a survey done hoping to get the recommendations installed and claim cashback AND NOT GET A LOAN. I now am ready to get the recommendations (new boiler and loft insulation) installed and have lined up a green deal approved installer lined up and the cash to pay for it.

However because I am not using a loan and will not be entitled to the cashback.

THE GREEN DEAL IS A COMPLETE CON...

keith_har

I would cancel your paid for assessment, most councils will do them for free. However the green deal is a complete con, just read the posts on this forum.

I was in the same situation new house needing work, got an assessment done to hopefully claim cashback, NO CASHBACK UNLESS YOU GET A LOAN.

Complete con... Also green deal providers who have quoted my property are 30% more than normal companies for the same work.

Ecodave

Hi Keith,

Who told you that you must take out the Green Deal finance? I am fairly sure I heard the minister in charge discuss this on some radio show, and confirmed that you could do exactly what you were hoping to do.

I don't suppose the EPC on your house also specified wall insulation did it? If you choose not to install wall or loft insulation then this would prevent you claiming the cashback.

Gouldus

I have just spoken to the Green Deal help line on 0300 123 1234- the only way you get Cashback is by getting a loan contract and then they give you a Cashback voucher. This is counter to what Martin says on Point 6 of his blog which states:

Importantly, the cashback's available even if you don't take a Green Deal loan - but you do need to get a Green Deal assessment and agree a quote for the work with a Green Deal Provider, even if you're paying upfront.

I quoted this to them and they said it was not the case.

victor2

So it's all as clear as mud then.

Gouldus

victor2 wrote: »

So it's all as clear as mud then.

Yep - I suspect, as with most of these Government schemes, the Right Hand has no idea what the Right Hand is doing, let alone the Left. Maybe someone else can call them and see if they get the same answer...who knows?

ninjaryder

I am a few days away from qualifying as a green deal assessor and even though I have a good knowledge of all the energy saving measures proposed by the green deal I must admit that there is an awful lot of fine tuning to be done still. I think the majority of measures will be cavity wall and loft insulation with new boilers making up the rest. The others are simply not cost effective or practicable on most properties.

MSE_Helen_S

Gouldus wrote: »

I have just spoken to the Green Deal help line on 0300 123 1234- the only way you get Cashback is by getting a loan contract and then they give you a Cashback voucher. This is counter to what Martin says on Point 6 of his blog which states:

Importantly, the cashback's available even if you don't take a Green Deal loan - but you do need to get a Green Deal assessment and agree a quote for the work with a Green Deal Provider, even if you're paying upfront.

I quoted this to them and they said it was not the case.

Hi Gouldus

When we were researching the guide, took info from the Green Deal cashback website, it says there on the FAQs that you don't need to take finance to get the cashback, you can pay upfront.

https://gdcashback.decc.gov.uk/Home/Faq

I think that you do have to go through a provider and get a GD plan - you can't get the assessment and then go straight to an installer - that's my reading of the "Who can apply for the GD Cashback scheme?" question on that link.

Helen

Ecodave

If this were week 1 of the Green Deal then I wouldn't be too surprised that the advice line got some of the finer detail wrong, but we are 6 or 7 weeks in now! They really need to pull their finger out and get this stuff right. Helen, any chance someone from the site could ring them and rattle their cage?