Green Deal MSE Guide Discussion

Marks_Tey_Jane · 6 February 2013 at 5:26PM

A rep from Green deal knocked on the door last week and talked my husband and I into having an assessor call. He told us that if we qualified it wouldn't cost us a penny . I arranged for the assessor to call on Monday at 1.00pm . The rep saod that someone would call to confirm. They did on Sunday night at 6.20pm. I was shocked to say that least that this happened on a Sunday evening. However, I had been doing some research and decided that it wasn't for us. When I tried to tell the chap on the phone that I had done some research he said " you think that you know everything there is to know but actually you know nothing". I told him that I didn't want someone with that sort of attitude in my house and cancelled the appointment. Won't be getting an assessor back in a hurry.

Cardew · 6 February 2013 at 5:45PM

The point I was making; was that a monetary value in savings for 'couple A' will not apply if 'couple B' take over occupancy

Green_Joe · 6 February 2013 at 6:09PM

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.

CJL · 6 February 2013 at 6:12PM

In a few years time, this will be a future mis-selling scandal. There will be a mis-selling claim back guide from MSE.

The basic principle appears to be that it won't cost you anything as the interest and repayments will be covered by the energy savings. Those energy savings will be calculated by the Green Deal assessor. He/she is either employed by someone wanting to sell the improvements to you or is independent, but wanting you to feel that the money you pay him for the assessment was worthwhile. Either way, the savings are likely to be over-estimated, thus meaning that the interest and repayments won't be covered by the savings. That will come as a surprise to some householders.

The consequences of the loan being linked to the energy bill of the property will also mean that lenders for a later purchaser of the property and/or the later purchaser themselves are certain to want the loan repaid in full by the seller before purchasing the property. And although tenants will be supposed to get permission from their landlords, you can guarantee that there will be cases where they don't and a landlord has to argue about who is to pay for the loan to cover improvements that the landlord either didn't want or could have completed much more cost-effectively.

Strad · 6 February 2013 at 7:19PM

I filled in one of the on-line energy saving reports and the results were very misleading. It quoted a potential saving of about £1000 but that included things I either cannot do (photovoltaics - my south facing roof is shaded by huge tree next door) or things I've already done (draught proofing, energy saving lights, new boiler). Also it included loft insulation although I've said that the loft space is inaccessible.

I have very little confidence that the Green Deal is going to be much use to people like me who live in old cottages. In a couple of rooms I've had a solid wall insulated internally but in most rooms it just wouldn't be practical and I can't see how external insulation would be possible on limestone walls and would look awful.

ifan.goch · 6 February 2013 at 9:11PM

I just filled in the online form and it told me that I could save over £800 a year. I don't see how. We have solid fuel central heating as there is no mains gas in our village. We can't put any less coal in the boiler as it will go out so no saving there. Our secondary heating system is solid fuel in a multi fuel stove, so again no saving there. The recommendations are for solid wall insulation at £10000+ and photovoltaic panels, also at £10000+. Our house roof faces east and west with a huge cliff behind the west side which means no sun after 4:30pm, so there's no point. We only pay £45 per month anyway for our electricity so I don't see how we would be able to repay the loan. Once again the government has promised the earth and delivered nothing, and once again I will be paying my taxes for other people's benefit :-(

newbie032012 · 7 February 2013 at 12:37AM

I was told when i was finding out about the GD that there were no up front costs, (apart from the initial fee) but on my assessment this afternoon i was told i may need to pay a deposit. Has anyone else heard of this?

grahamc2003 · 7 February 2013 at 12:43AM

The average ******** customer saves
£294.13 a year
on their energy bills following an energy survey

A claim from the website of ******'s website, which promotes not only the green deal, but also trains assessors.

But the claim is surely incorrect, at least if GD finance has been used, since any estimated energy cost savings, afiiu, are simply added back onto the energy bill to pay off the debt incurred. So how can bills be lowered?

Of course, touting 'lower energy bills' is simply misleading advertising imv. So could you back up the claim - if the average energy bill is reduced by £294pa, then what is the average decrease of the gas+electricity component of bills?

save time, save energy, save money

Another misleading quote. Maybe some energy may be saved with GD measures, no idea what the 'time' bit means, but the 'save money' claim seems to be against the whole idea of the GD, which simply allocates the pre gd bill cost to a post gd energy cost plus a loan repayment.

(I'm sure there'll be cases where some money may theoreticaslly be saved, but I expect for the vast m,ajority of cases with a greater than 7% interest rate, the whole theoretical saving will be allocated to the debt repayment.)

Gloucester_Lad · 7 February 2013 at 12:53AM

Come on Martin the site is called "money saving expert" so how come you are so optimistic about the Green deal? I'm not.

We should really treat it for what it is and that's just another way to finance home energy efficiency improvements, and to my mind not a very good "other way" to going your own way.

I'm about to get a new boiler.
Do I pay up front assessment fee of £99 plus inflated Green Deal approved prices, about £2500 from British Gas and then pay for it over say ten years, which too often is all the expected life you get from a modern condensing boiler, and pay 7% interest to boot? And probably as a result see my bills overall going up rather than down?
Or.
Do I get a local gas safe plumber to supply and install for £1500 (have quote) and pay cash or even finance through a bank loan at 5.1% over probably a shorter 5 or 6 years, and pay less out per month? And probably actually see some bill savings even before the loan is repaid?

Granted the overall Green Deal package might be a little different for some of the other improvements but a general rule of thumb must be that going your own way will always work out much cheaper than paying upfront charges, paying high interest and paying inflated prices from "approved installers". And that's before even looking at all the other elements of the scheme I'm not keen on like the loan staying with the property, early repayment penalties, tenant paying to upgrade landlords property and GDAdvisors becoming reluctant salesmen with the risk of mis-selling that will bring.

If we're to have a green Deal it really should be a good, fair and honest deal.
Come on money saving expert, what do you really think?

grahamc2003 · 7 February 2013 at 1:01AM

The Green Deal is a finance package that enables you to install all the recommendations we make at no up front cost.

Yep, understand that.

If you choose to install through us we’ll open a client account, which will protect your money until you are completely satisfied with the work done

Que?

Green Deal MSE Guide Discussion

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