Green Deal MSE Guide Discussion

999pez

[FONT=&quot]I was considering getting a green deal assessment, but this thread has put me off.
I got here via the 'green deal mythbuster' which suggest that 'check to see if your council was offered Green Deal funding - if so, it's worth asking to speak to someone about Green Deal Pioneer funding and enquiring if there are free or discounted assessments available'.
However, my Council (Portsmouth) has told me ' [/FONT][FONT=&quot]When we originally wrote the bid for Pioneer Places funding we were advised by the government that any money granted could not be used to train Green Deal Advisors or provide free assessments. I am unable to explain how other local authorities have side-stepped this guidance'.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Based on what I've read here, I'm not going to risk wasting £150 on an assessment.[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

Ecodave

Hi 999Pez - Out of interest, what sort of improvements might you have hoped for, had you got your free assessment?

sheffield_lad

999Pez is this the council assessment or have you tried an independent? I would guess the council one is £150 but bet you can pick one up off an indi for less.

999pez

Ecodave wrote: »

Hi 999Pez - Out of interest, what sort of improvements might you have hoped for, had you got your free assessment?

I need a new boiler - I've already had the loft & cavity insulation done. Think I'll get it done by my usual local heating engineer instead.

999pez

howee wrote: »

999Pez is this the council assessment or have you tried an independent? I would guess the council one is £150 but bet you can pick one up off an indi for less.

Yes, I don't understand why Council's are more expensive, when they've received Government funding?

Ecodave

999pez - yes sounds like Green deal is not for you. However if you are on benefits, then you may be able to get funding via the Energy Company Obligation for boiler repairs/replacement.

sheffield_lad

Or these guys

http://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/news/2012/07/09/new-energy-supplier-to-offer-!!!!!!-and-cheaper-bills/

Richie-from-the-Boro

howee wrote: »

lol, your priceless.

- remains to be seen my friend
- I put my head above the parapet [spacemanc / Kyoto] a long time ago on this
- we will see, the whole target based carbon thing is dead in the water and has been for years
- this green deal target based initiative had its legs chopped of by the installing industry before it began
- as for my claim that it mirrors the mis-selling in the PPI / and / or / other delivery models
- I'll happily leave my head above the parapet and we will indeed see who is / was correct

GOV did not / is not maintaining the independence, the integrity of the intended design barriers. Its already an in~house single unit delivery model, they the GOV have no way of now breaking up the fledgeling industry by introducing competition. I expect even further relaxation of consumer protection / assistance by GOV in the future .. .. that's the nature of politics .. .. anything it takes to make the initiative [STRIKE]seem to[/STRIKE] work.

Work for whom ? It ain't even working for the in~house industry who control it, and it certainly ain't working for the poor sods who are in need of help with combating the ever escalating costs of energy with efficient insulation and cost effective heating systems.

spacemanc

"Aint working" ? - It hasn't even started! Look up the figures for work completed under Green Deal. There isn't any because the finance isn't in place yet.

I partly agree with some of your other points, but I think you misunderstand some things as well. You say there's no competition - well right now there isn't much because it's new, but as a whole the scheme probably has too much competition which makes it confusing! You can go anywhere for the assessment - you can then take that to any installer, who can finance it with any provider. They do all have to be green deal qualified, but if that wasn't the case then no doubt you would cry about it being open to cowboys - which would be true!

Independence of the assessor is a problem as really the whole scheme is based on the impartiality of the initial assessment, but the assessors are audited quite often by the certification bodies, so the auditing is the part which the government needs to keep an eye on to make sure standards are kept up and regulations are followed. Based on what happens with the EPC's currently, there's no reason to think that that won't be the case.

monstereyebrows

znbmum wrote: »

Savage .... I feel your despair, there seems to be no help for those who are not on benefits. Once again tax payers get kicked in the teeth.

Spacemanc... I will contact the assessor tomorrow and ask them if they can change it to electric heating. Do you know if I am allowed to get an assessment with a different company if I am not happy or do I contact an ombudsmen?
Also, do you know if there is a time limit as to how long they can take to send a certificate? Or whatever the next step should be. After he told me the result of the assessment he just walked out and said I would get something in the post in a couple of months.... does this sound right?

Hi znbmum

Hope I am able to help. Your existing back boiler although not working has to be included in the the assessment and assumed to heat your home here is the convention we have to work to "If boiler/heating system is present but not working (or condemned) it should still be entered as the main heating system."

Some here have suggested that we can simply replace the boiler and enter electric heating along with your gas fire to generate larger savings this is not possible as we have to go by the convention!

However you will get a reccomendation for replacing the boiler and it will generate a figure of available funding on the Green Deal but may not cover the entire cost of replacing boiler.

As regards the Green Deal Assessor not looking at your bills there may be a reason for that. The only bill data that we can use is a period of 11-15 months without any breaks. Also you could not use the bill data from the previous occupant to make up that 11-15 months. We cannot use the monthly D/D you may we have to see the bill data including the tarrifs you are on. Did you have 11-15 months of bill data as you say gas bill £300 for last three months?

I am sorry to say that the Green Deal is not what most people expect and in your situation I understand your frustration.

However if you wait for your results you will get figures that you can use to potentially fund some or all measures reccomended.

Hope it helps explain the scheme a little better.