Green Deal MSE Guide Discussion

RickMoney

Does anyone know if, once you have the assessment done, can you choose to have the suggested works done in stages or do you have to get any works you want doing done all in one go to qualify for the finance/cash backs?

captainhindsight_2

RickMoney wrote: »

Does anyone know if, once you have the assessment done, can you choose to have the suggested works done in stages or do you have to get any works you want doing done all in one go to qualify for the finance/cash backs?

The best and cheapest way to do it would be to do it all in one go. This would mean within a three month window or six months window if ewi is included, (I think...)

However yes you can do it in stages, but this would mean separate claims for cash back (which a lot of companies are changing an admin fee) and seperate green deal plans (which some charge admin set up fees) and a new gdar between each one (circa £150 each time)

The scheme is designed to incentive a whole home improvement rather than individual improvements.

dalebid

anybody worrying that they've missed out on the new cashback amounts if your having external wall insulation and in the process of having or arranging the work at the moment, I just spoke to the cashback administrators and they said they would be offering uplift payments if they received the voucher from the installer from April onwards, so shouldn't have to postpone the work to get the increased cashback offered from June.

Blessed2bea

Hello, I'm pretty new to all this - I've just paid for the Assessment, also live in a large, cold victorian terraced house - it all looked good for savings at the beginning, but at the end the report shows there's hardly anything we can save money on - and at a HUGE expense! He said it's possibly because we are already doing all we can to save money. Methinks it has been a waste of moey and about 6 or 7 hours of my life!
***BEWARE ALL***

lstar337

Blessed2bea wrote: »

Hello, I'm pretty new to all this - I've just paid for the Assessment, also live in a large, cold victorian terraced house - it all looked good for savings at the beginning, but at the end the report shows there's hardly anything we can save money on - and at a HUGE expense! He said it's possibly because we are already doing all we can to save money. Methinks it has been a waste of moey and about 6 or 7 hours of my life!
***BEWARE ALL***

Was the same for us. All glitz and promises of huge savings, then as soon as it was on paper it said we could save a few pennies if we spent thousands. Real helpful.

Luckily we didn't pay for the assessment!

Now we live in an A rated new build, got fed up with the old place leeching money out of me!

Smiley_Dan

A question on the Green Deal Assessment Fund (maybe captainhindsight has an idea).

I already have an EPC which I could use to provide go ahead for some improvements using this grant. The "top actions" are:

1. CWI
2. Floor insulation
3. Low energy lighting in all outlets
4. Heating controls
5. Replace boiler
6. Solar water heating

I want CWI but that should leave some money left (we're within the 12 months of moving in).

All the others can't be done really:

1. Floor insulation will be too expensive and we want to do it when we refurb downstairs with UFH
2. I'm replacing lighting as and when... we don't use a lot of lights so payback takes a long time
3. Heating controls aren't covered... shame because I'd do that one
4. I'm not replacing the boiler, if anything I want to get insulation up to spec then go the heat pump route
5. Solar water heating would be too expensive.

What I *would* like to do is replace our leaky front door and maybe add some secondary glazing to our existing old double glazing on the north side of the building. As well as install more heating controls, but as stated I don't believe that's covered. Also, maybe more roof insulation (although it's already 250mm)

If I commissioned a GDA might it recommend this, so therefore I could get the preferred work done too (might also require a bit of money from us)?

captainhindsight_2

Smiley_Dan wrote: »

A question on the Green Deal Assessment Fund (maybe captainhindsight has an idea).

I already have an EPC which I could use to provide go ahead for some improvements using this grant. The "top actions" are:

1. CWI
2. Floor insulation
3. Low energy lighting in all outlets
4. Heating controls
5. Replace boiler
6. Solar water heating

I want CWI but that should leave some money left (we're within the 12 months of moving in).

All the others can't be done really:

1. Floor insulation will be too expensive and we want to do it when we refurb downstairs with UFH
2. I'm replacing lighting as and when... we don't use a lot of lights so payback takes a long time
3. Heating controls aren't covered... shame because I'd do that one
4. I'm not replacing the boiler, if anything I want to get insulation up to spec then go the heat pump route
5. Solar water heating would be too expensive.

What I *would* like to do is replace our leaky front door and maybe add some secondary glazing to our existing old double glazing on the north side of the building. As well as install more heating controls, but as stated I don't believe that's covered. Also, maybe more roof insulation (although it's already 250mm)

If I commissioned a GDA might it recommend this, so therefore I could get the preferred work done too (might also require a bit of money from us)?

Hi, a full list of eligible measures are here.

Is that your full list of measures or just the top ones?

To qualify the EPC/GDAR needs to recommend the measure you want to install that is also one of the 12 listed eligible for GDHIF.

The two things you interested in, new door, and secondary glazing are covered by the GDHIF.

Technically all assessors should come out with the same results however this is not always the case, and one employed by a company who can carry out the installations you are interested in may show the recommendations you want.

So i think your best bet would be to contact a local window/door company who can do the installations through the Green Deal and get you the cash back and ask them if they could provide you with a new EPC/GDAR and this should be able to help you hopefully.

I would hold out for ECO for the insulation, ECO will come back in full swing as soon as the government release the outcome of this consultation. Originally it was meant to be 1 April 2014, now there saying mid July

Smiley_Dan

Thanks again!

captainhindsight wrote: »

Is that your full list of measures or just the top ones?

That's the full list on page four, the top ones are the top three in the list. There're also alternative measures but these are way too expensive (or not even applicable - Micro CHP off the gas grid?).

I was wondering if the GDAR was more detailed and would recommend more measures. I brought up the door because when I ran through the tool on the EST website it suggested replacing the door. I also know from experience of living here that there are draughty gaps around the letter box, part of the door is made of rather thin panels of oak which get condensation on them and there is even a thin sliver of a hole in the middle that I noticed the other day.

[...] secondary glazing are covered by the GDHIF.

Including secondary glazing over old double glazing? I noticed that double glazing itself is only covered when replacing single glazing. Although we have wood double glazing, it's the old style with narrow metal spacers.

Technically all assessors should come out with the same results however this is not always the case, and one employed by a company who can carry out the installations you are interested in may show the recommendations you want.

So i think your best bet would be to contact a local window/door company who can do the installations through the Green Deal and get you the cash back and ask them if they could provide you with a new EPC/GDAR and this should be able to help you hopefully.

Ha! I also wondered whether these grants may actually push up prices of these measures in the same way RHI has pushed up prices of biomass boilers and GSHPs (so I hear).

I'll try that. I assume separate applications can be made.

I would hold out for ECO for the insulation, ECO will come back in full swing as soon as the government release the outcome of this consultation. Originally it was meant to be 1 April 2014, now there saying mid July

Right but I'm beginning to worry about next winter already. The whole process could've been written up by Kafka. Presumably that consultation may withdraw the funding too. Did the changes to CERO never actually get implemented then? Because I did find at least two installers who thought it would be, only for the money to not be released (as I was posting about elsewhere).

captainhindsight_2

Smiley_Dan wrote: »

Thanks again!



That's the full list on page four, the top ones are the top three in the list. There're also alternative measures but these are way too expensive (or not even applicable - Micro CHP off the gas grid?).

I was wondering if the GDAR was more detailed and would recommend more measures. I brought up the door because when I ran through the tool on the EST website it suggested replacing the door. I also know from experience of living here that there are draughty gaps around the letter box, part of the door is made of rather thin panels of oak which get condensation on them and there is even a thin sliver of a hole in the middle that I noticed the other day.



Including secondary glazing over old double glazing? I noticed that double glazing itself is only covered when replacing single glazing. Although we have wood double glazing, it's the old style with narrow metal spacers.



Ha! I also wondered whether these grants may actually push up prices of these measures in the same way RHI has pushed up prices of biomass boilers and GSHPs (so I hear).

I'll try that. I assume separate applications can be made.


Right but I'm beginning to worry about next winter already. The whole process could've been written up by Kafka. Presumably that consultation may withdraw the funding too. Did the changes to CERO never actually get implemented then? Because I did find at least two installers who thought it would be, only for the money to not be released (as I was posting about elsewhere).

The GDAR makes recommendations based on how you actually live in the house, but is limited to what is on the EPC.

Sorry, my mistake you wouldnt get secondary over double glazing.

Some companies will probably charge more because they think they can get away with it, but the way that this scheme is designed allowing any company to offer it as long as they can operate within PAS2030 standards should encourage a lot of competition and make prices competitive.

That consultation is only about ECO so shouldn't affect green deal or any green deal cash back. Your right no changes have happened to CERO yet until the outcome of the consultation is released and therefore no money is being released... We were promised 1st April which never happened, now there are rumors that it will be mid july. The obligated energy companies are not going to release any money until this is released which is very annoying for businesses (like mine) which have invested £1000s in being able to offer this scheme to customers only for it to be put on hold for 6 months half way through and even more annoying for customers wanting new boilers or insulation just sitting there in the cold....

Smiley_Dan

Thanks again. Shame heating controls aren't offered.