Green Deal MSE Guide Discussion

captainhindsight_2

Smiley_Dan wrote: »

Thanks again. Shame heating controls aren't offered.

Yea when I saw the headline upto £7600 cash back i thought great! But looking into it I don't really believe there will be many people who will have an EPC/GDAR recommending two of the measures on the GDHIF list that they are willing or want to install.

fay49

In August 2013 I joined the description for a "ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE" & I paid £149.99 for the service I was expecting to be carried out but was contacted several times from the firm "GEEN DEAL SCHEME" with change of several appointments in which never occurred. I have contacted trading standards & seeked advice with citizens advice consumer service, whom advised for me to contact my debit card provider to ask for a chargeback on the grounds that this company never carried out for the work. But my bank refused this "chargeback". I would like to know if I can take this matter further?

captainhindsight_2

fay49 wrote: »

In August 2013 I joined the description for a "ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE" & I paid £149.99 for the service I was expecting to be carried out but was contacted several times from the firm "GEEN DEAL SCHEME" with change of several appointments in which never occurred. I have contacted trading standards & seeked advice with citizens advice consumer service, whom advised for me to contact my debit card provider to ask for a chargeback on the grounds that this company never carried out for the work. But my bank refused this "chargeback". I would like to know if I can take this matter further?

I've herd of this company before, there are not actually a green deal company so unfortunately you cannot go the the Green Deal Oversight and Registration Body to resolve the issue.

Before handing over any money is is very important that you see if the company is listed on the green deal participants register to see if they are legit

Unfortunately for you it is too late so I would suggest going to citizens advice.

However I just had a quick google and it appears the company has ceased trading and there is very little you can do unfortunately..

Have a look here could be some help but i think it is unlikely you can get your money back now

Curiousconsumer

Hi,

I'm new to this so apologies if I get the etiquette wrong! I was wondering if anyone knew about the new version of Green Deal? I can't find helpful info online and am getting muddled!

We need a new boiler (18yr old boiler at present!) and probably have the cash or could find it. Ideally I'd like to top up the loft insulation and look at cavity wall insulation too as although our home is 1996 build it wasn't insulated apparently.

I was going to have a Green Deal Assessment and apply for cash back before end of June. Appreciate cash back would be a relatively small drop in the ocean but all drops count, right?

I'm now wondering if we should wait for the new scheme to start. My questions are: a) where can I find details of new scheme cash back amounts/will they be more? and b) could I start the ball rolling with an assessment now & actually wait to start cash back claim until new scheme kicks in?

Hope this makes sense and that someone can help! Thank you for reading

captainhindsight_2

Curiousconsumer wrote: »

Hi,

I'm new to this so apologies if I get the etiquette wrong! I was wondering if anyone knew about the new version of Green Deal? I can't find helpful info online and am getting muddled!

We need a new boiler (18yr old boiler at present!) and probably have the cash or could find it. Ideally I'd like to top up the loft insulation and look at cavity wall insulation too as although our home is 1996 build it wasn't insulated apparently.

I was going to have a Green Deal Assessment and apply for cash back before end of June. Appreciate cash back would be a relatively small drop in the ocean but all drops count, right?

I'm now wondering if we should wait for the new scheme to start. My questions are: a) where can I find details of new scheme cash back amounts/will they be more? and b) could I start the ball rolling with an assessment now & actually wait to start cash back claim until new scheme kicks in?

Hope this makes sense and that someone can help! Thank you for reading

There is no new Green Deal, but there is a new incentive scheme attached to the Green Deal starting in early June.

At the moment their is the Green Deal Cashback scheme.

In early June the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund will start.

Based on what you want the Green Deal cash back will give you up to £770. (£150 loft insulation, £250 cavity wall insulation, £100 heating controls, £270 new condensing boiler)

The Home Improvement fund will pay £1100 + an extra £500 if you bought the house in the last 12 months. (£1000 boiler & cavity wall insulation, £100 green deal assessment, £500 if you bought the house in the last 12 months).

The loft insulation, you may as well wait for ECO to pick up again and just get that for free some time after mid July.

I would recommend getting an assessment now, getting quotes for the boiler and the cavity wall insulation to be fitted choose the best quote and then book in a installation date mid June then claim the home improvement fund money. And remember the installers have to be green deal installers.

That will give you loft insulation for free, boiler and cavity wall insulation £1000 cash back, assessment £100 cash back then a extra £500 if you have recently bought the house.

londonlydia

Hi,

I've been thinking about the Green Deal ever since we moved into our house in 2012. My step-dad has picked up some of the pamphlets from work (he works for DECC) and in theory I think it might be worth it.

We live in an end-of-terrace 3 story Edwardian house. Already the house has (old) UPVC windows/ doors, thick loft insulation, LED lighting and zoned heating. However, we have no wall insulation and being End of Terrace at an exposed spot on a hill means the wind chill factor is high on our house. The end wall is very cold, and I was wondering if it was worth investigating solid wall insulation? But, I would probably only get it if we could get the external version as we've just redecorated!

But a few worries:

1. Are you obliged to have it on all external walls? I would refer it on the large side wall and the rear, but not on the front as it has a lot of decorative plasterwork that I wouldnt want to cover.
2. The side wall is (badly) spardashed. Would this be taken off as part ofthe solid wall insulation?
3. Im really wary about being forced to change energy provider. I'm with Co-Op energy and really like them, and I would need to pay to leave the fixed deal early. Is it only the big 6 that do it?

Thanks

captainhindsight_2

londonlydia wrote: »

Hi,

I've been thinking about the Green Deal ever since we moved into our house in 2012. My step-dad has picked up some of the pamphlets from work (he works for DECC) and in theory I think it might be worth it.

We live in an end-of-terrace 3 story Edwardian house. Already the house has (old) UPVC windows/ doors, thick loft insulation, LED lighting and zoned heating. However, we have no wall insulation and being End of Terrace at an exposed spot on a hill means the wind chill factor is high on our house. The end wall is very cold, and I was wondering if it was worth investigating solid wall insulation? But, I would probably only get it if we could get the external version as we've just redecorated!

But a few worries:

1. Are you obliged to have it on all external walls? I would refer it on the large side wall and the rear, but not on the front as it has a lot of decorative plasterwork that I wouldnt want to cover. No you can have as much or as little as you like, most people in houses like yours choose just to have it on the side and back, but they are able to recreate the plaster work on the front if you want them too
2. The side wall is (badly) spardashed. Would this be taken off as part ofthe solid wall insulation? its up to you, most companies will do a tap test this will check the render is secure and then knock bits off that aren't secure and then just fix the insulation onto the wall but if you want to take it all off first you can pay extra to do this but its not really necessary
3. Im really wary about being forced to change energy provider. I'm with Co-Op energy and really like them, and I would need to pay to leave the fixed deal early. Is it only the big 6 that do it?it does not matter who your energy supplier is, the scheme is open to anybody and everybody regardless of who there energy supplier is or income etc.

Thanks

See above hope it helps, there are now two different ways to fund it:

-ECO funding this will pay a price per unit of carbon saved by fitting the insulation to the installer then you will have to pay the difference if any or get a green deal loan to bridge the gap if any.

-Home Improvement Fund, you pay for the work in full then receive 75% cash back up to £6000 off the government.

To find companies that can offer the work click here and enter your postcode it will show a list of companies who operate in your area.

Its definitely worth doing, as it will transform your house and make it so much warmer!

Sundridge_Si

Hi captainhindsight,

I've been reading this thread with great interest and picking up some great advice from your comments and answers to people's questions. I am, however, getting slightly confused about what is exactly happening when the new scheme comes into place next month with the cash back offers and what options I have as a tenant.

My situation is:

• One of three joint tenants with support from my landlord for the work to take place under the scheme (the people pushing for the deal were them rather than us)
• The landlord is a charity run arts centre, led by an arts council rather than an individual, so there is little or no money for them to do the work themselves
• The landlord is unlikely to do any redecorating or improvements until the work under the scheme takes place
• Second floor flat above a large house (used as the arts centre)
• Severely dated and likely to require fixed external wall insulation as part of the improvements
• double glazing mostly done throughout the flat with the exception of only two windows
• storage heaters costing us the earth in electricity bills

Ideally using the above I need to know our best options and whether either the new or current scheme would be best for us as tenants, especially as we're all likely to have left within the next couple of years.
After struggling being offered a date for an assessment from my preferential assessor (British Gas but only as they seemed to be a trusting name) is it best to stick with a company who only act as an assessor (and after checking they are independent and not linked to an providers) or someone who also acts as a provider?

Thanks

captainhindsight_2

Sundridge_Si wrote: »

Hi captainhindsight,

I've been reading this thread with great interest and picking up some great advice from your comments and answers to people's questions. I am, however, getting slightly confused about what is exactly happening when the new scheme comes into place next month with the cash back offers and what options I have as a tenant.

My situation is:

• One of three joint tenants with support from my landlord for the work to take place under the scheme (the people pushing for the deal were them rather than us)
• The landlord is a charity run arts centre, led by an arts council rather than an individual, so there is little or no money for them to do the work themselves
• The landlord is unlikely to do any redecorating or improvements until the work under the scheme takes place
• Second floor flat above a large house (used as the arts centre)
• Severely dated and likely to require fixed external wall insulation as part of the improvements
• double glazing mostly done throughout the flat with the exception of only two windows
• storage heaters costing us the earth in electricity bills

Ideally using the above I need to know our best options and whether either the new or current scheme would be best for us as tenants, especially as we're all likely to have left within the next couple of years.
After struggling being offered a date for an assessment from my preferential assessor (British Gas but only as they seemed to be a trusting name) is it best to stick with a company who only act as an assessor (and after checking they are independent and not linked to an providers) or someone who also acts as a provider?

Thanks

Hi, first of all the new scheme starting next month is not a new Green Deal scheme it is just a new cashback incentive to get people to take up the green deal.


The current incentive scheme called Green Deal Cash Back allows people to install individual measures and get different amounts of cashback depending on the measure fitter this can be seen here (https://gdcashback.decc.gov.uk/)


The new incentive scheme is called the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund, this is cashback where you must install two measures off an approved list to receive upto £1000 Cash back + £100 for the assessment +£500 if the house has been bought in the last 12 months and then + upto £6000 for external solid wall inisulation more info is here (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/308780/QG12_GDHIF-web.pdf)


These cashbacks above are based on the contribution made, so if you are getting a Green Deal Plan and topping it up with cash the cash back would only be calculated form the amount used to top up the loan.


Before anything can happen all occupiers and the landlord need to consent before anything can happen technically even an assessment really.


IN regards to what work could be done, you could get solid wall insulation but rally it needs to be the whole building not just the one flat as it would look rather odd... lol.


Double Glazing, to pull up a recommendation on the assessment a standard rule would be less than 50% so just being the two I dont think this would be much help but depending on the % these two make up it may pull up a recommendation in an assessment. But double glazing is unlikely to meet the golden rule where by the savings from the measure must be the same as or greater than the cost of installing said measure so a contribution would be required to install this.


In regards to the storage heaters, depending on their age and if there is mains gas available an assessment is likely to pull up a recommendation for new fan assisted storage heaters, or if mains gas is available the installation of gas condensing boiler.


Based on what you want it is likely that the landlord will have to make some sort of contribution but it is impossible to say until you have had an assessment.


In regards to getting an assessment I would stay away from British gas and the big six and if you look here (http://gdorb.decc.gov.uk/green-deal-participant-register) and enter your postcode this will show up a list of companies who operate in your area ideally if you can find a local one they should be able to get an assessment done within a couple of weeks of you contacting them. You shouldn't have to pay more than £150 for the assessment.


In regards to whether to instruct an independent assessor company or one who is also a provider it is up to you, technically the assessor should be independent regardless of who they work for but this may not always be true. There are pros and cons both ways, an independent assessor company has no incentives to push you in one direction or another and should give you an unbiased accurate assessment. One who is also a provider may not be completely impartial and unbiased but may sway the assessment to achieve what you are after to achieve a sale/commission if you understand what I am getting at...


Hope it helps but as I say the only way to know for sure what you can get is by having an assessment.

Phil_OAFC

Just after a few opinions if anything not had time to fully read into all this just yet...

We moved into our 3 bed semi Oct 2013

All double glazed, loft insulated, unsure if cavity wall has been done, its a 1970 built property, I have drilled out in once place near the front door fitting an alarm and I noticed some polystyrene beads in the walls, I'm guessing this is it?

Anyway, we don't use much gas/elec, bills are a reasonable £100ish a month - though it has been mild!

Our boiler is 23 year old, I fear its uneconomical, we have no thermostats, no digital timer and no way of flicking just the water on, or just the heating on, though like I say, bills haven't been bad.

I am quite eco conscious, and I would like to get thermostats and a new boiler, but only if it adds value to the house and if it saves me a bit of money, and makes things easier, for example being able to have a shower without having to physically flick a switch for a few hours beforehand!

As we moved in less than a year ago, am I right in thinking we would get £500 + £270 cashback for a new boiler?

A few people have said to me, if it isn't broke and its not costing me a bomb, to leave it, but its not ideal and it is old, so I'm thinking with cashback this could be a decent deal for us?

Can anyone recommend what they would do? This will be our life home so any improvements will benefit us over the next 25 years or so.

Cheers guys