Government’s Green Deal Stimulation Paying Off?

The Government recently announced that anyone wishing to become accredited as a Green Deal Assessor; Green Deal installer; or Green Deal provider; will not have to pay any fees for their registration for the next two years. The move came as a result of talks designed to develop initiatives making the Scheme attractive to the service providers who are to be the bedrock of its success.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (normally you’ll see them referred to as DECC) is also bearing all running costs for the Green Deal Oversight Body – a regulatory service set up to ensure that consumers receive the highest possible quality of service under the Green Deal Scheme.

The actual running of the body has been contracted to Gemserv and REAL, who won the contract in a bidding competition, and who will be directly responsible for ensuring that Green Deal Assessors; Green Deal installers; and Green Deal providers are all delivering provably excellent services to the end users of the scheme.

The official launch date for the Green Deal Scheme is still October 1 2012 – and to this end the DECC has announced that the Green Deal Oversight Body will be in operation from early August, giving the assessors, installers and providers time to register and get ready to begin delivering their services.

It is not yet clear whether the Green Deal financing structure’s delay (the loan system is currently believed to be falling into place in January 2013) will halt provision of services from Green Deal Assessors; Green Deal installers; and Green Deal providers. Currently, statements released by Ed Davey (the Energy Secretary) suggest that Green Deal assessments will go ahead throughout the autumn and winter of 2012; but that actual Green Deal financed work will not begin until the start of next year.

The October 1 launch is now planned as a “soft launch”, which will see the assessors, installers and suppliers delivering the start of Green Deal services, without presenting the full package until early 2013. In particular, the Green Deal providers will be able to use the period between October 1 and January 28 2013 to test their systems, ensuring everything is working properly for the delayed switch-on date.

August Newsletter

Details Released on Green Deal Scheme

The Government has released more details on the architecture of the Green Deal scheme – including information on the energy efficiency measures that will be covered by the scheme (as many as 45 different installations or processes); and the consumer protection measures that will be put in place to ensure that Green Deal installers and providers deliver the right service to the right people.

Included in the energy efficiency measures ratified by the Green Deal are:

·         Radiant heating (for example heated skirting boards, or other low-energy constant sources of heat)

·         HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning)

·         Energy efficient taps and showers

·         Rooflights.

The policymakers have been particularly careful to introduce measures reinforcing the originally stated Green Deal aims of impartial advice and best practice. Regulations require Green Deal Assessors to declare if they have any affiliation to, or are receiving commission from, Green Deal installers or Green Deal providers. Additionally, the regulation restricts cold calling to protect consumers from pressure.

DECC also published a Green Deal Impact Assessment, which states that – on average – energy bolls for consumers who take up the Green Deal should run to an overall lesser figure than in properties where the owners do nothing. That said, there is a caveat in place specifying that the Green Deal Golden Rule does not absolutely guarantee that the projected cost savings of an installation will exceed the amount of Green Deal finance taken out. DECC’s response is that the “significant protections” built into the Golden Rule – which calculates the amount of finance a property owner should be eligible for to make energy saving improvements – make the calculation robust.

DECC has also noted that the Green Deal for business will launch on October 1, at the same time as the Green Deal for residential properties. There had been some speculation as to whether the two parts of the Green Deal Scheme would be able to roll out at the same time – as the commercial and business construction and property markets are best by complexities not present in domestic ownership.

The Green Deal and the EPC Survey – What the Energy Performance Certificate Means to You

The Green Deal EPC survey is the first step taken by your Green Deal Assessor to determining how suitable your property is for investment from the Green Deal Scheme. The EPC, or Energy Performance Certificate, shows the current typical energy use of your home – with graded scores shown in colours and numbers similar to the scoring system you’ll have seen on fridges and freezers over the last few years.

The modern Energy Performance Certificate shows two colour graphics – one arranged on a colour scale from Red (bad) to Green (excellent); and the other ranging between Grey (again bad) and pale Blue (good). The first scale on the Green Deal EPC survey is your energy efficiency rating – Red equates to very low scores, and is extremely poor; while Green equates to very high scores and is extremely good.

The second scale is your CO2 or Environmental Impact rating – again, low scores are poor and high scores are good.

In both cases the document produced during the Green Deal EPC survey should show your current score and the estimated potential score for the property. It is this second column, the estimated potential, which is important for your financing eligibility.

If your Green Deal Assessor finds that the property is already functioning at maximal or near maximal energy efficiency, then he or she is unlikely to recommend that Green Deal financing be approved in your case. Because there are, in these cases, no improvements that can be done to cost effectively raise the energy efficiency and CO2 efficiency of the building.

The efficiency ratings in your Green Deal EPC Survey are also given alphabetical scores from A (good) to G (bad). These ratings fall basically in line with the energy ratings of your fridge; freezer; washing machine; tumble dryer; and microwave. In other words, the more “A”s you score the lower the amount of energy you use to run the property’s heating and lighting services.

The Green Deal EPC Survey must always be carried out by a qualified Green Deal Assessor. He or she may recommend specific works to be done to the property, for which Green Deal financing may be approved.  

The Green Deal Residential and Commercial – Latest Government Comment

Whether you’re interested in the Green Deal and its residential application, or a Green Deal commercial loan, there’s one thing we all have in common. We’re interested in using Green Deal finance to make the cost of energy efficient refurbishments and home improvements easier to bear.

And according to Greg Barker MP, the climate change Minister, there’s a direct link between the Green Deal and the economy too.

The construction industry has long been seen as a mainstay of British economic health – that is, the more work British construction firms are doing, the healthier the economy seems to be. So when Greg Barker suggested that the Green Deal – residential or commercial – could help to kick start the economy, he necessarily stressed that the link between mitigating upfront costs, and supplying much-needed work to construction firms, was a strong one.

Speaking at a property conference earlier this year, Mr Barker stated that the Green Deal financing scheme would deliver the work the construction industry needs to revitalise itself during these turbulent times; the wherewithal for homeowners and property owners to lower their future energy bills; and the security the financing bodies required to make the loans viable in the first place.

In other words, the Green Deal, commercial or residentially applied for, is a loan with built-in security, guaranteed for the home or property owner whose building fits the loan criteria.

Mr Barker anticipates that the Green Deal commercial and residential loan scheme will be capable of supporting 65,000 jobs by the year 2015. In addition, the resale value of homes improved through the Green Deal residential scheme will elevate, as future residents find (once the loan is paid off) their energy costs dramatically reduced. And the most vulnerable members of society, homeowners and tenants who don’t have the money to pay for the energy effective refurbishment their dwellings sorely need, will be benefited immediately.

The current round of talks on the Green Deal is set to continue, with Government ministers in consultation over who should be leading the project – policy incentives or energy companies. Current reports favour the introduction of policy incentives to guide the Deal in the right direction.  

Explaining the Green Deal Golden Rule

So how will the Green Deal Scheme really save you money? Yes, you’re getting free upgrades to your home, the property you own or the property you rent – but you have to pay for it all at some point, right?

Of course you do. But the Green Deal Scheme, uniquely in the annals of Government initiatives, has built in protection for every tenant, landlord and homeowner. That protection is called the Green Deal Golden Rule.

Simply stated, the Golden Rule says this:

You’ll never end up paying more in your energy bills than you would have done if you hadn’t taken the advice of your Green Deal advisor. Provided that your energy consumption remains the same, that is. If you were to increase the energy consumption in your property, for example by renting rooms in the home out, then the overall monthly payments would go up.

The Golden Rule states that your savings will be equal to, or less than, the amount paid monthly under the average current usage.

Repayments on Green Deal financing are made through future energy bills. Your Green Deal advisor is there to help you understand the future commitment you make when you sign up for the Scheme. And he, or she, won’t let you make any modification whose cost negates the saving you make when you’ve installed the new equipment.

This is why the Green Deal Scheme is so ideal for families living at the lower end of the income scale – people whose energy bills represent a significant drain on their resources, but who are in no position to finance improvements of their own. In the long term, he improvements endorsed by the Green Deal advisor benefit the infrastructure of the country by minimising drain on precious natural resources. And they benefit the individual inhabitants of homes in poorer areas by maximising their ability to consume vital services without overspending.

The Green Deal Golden Rule is there to protect investor and consumer alike. By limiting the amount of finance granted to no more than the average energy bill, the Golden Rule ensures that every Green Deal Scheme customer saves: while every Green Deal Scheme provider lessens its lending risk.  

Electrical Testing and Inspection – What You Need to Know

As a supplier of property maintenance in London I’m often asked what landlords need to do in order to ensure their property is compliant with UK law. Usually I’m being asked with a view to saving money where possible – and with things the way they are right now I couldn’t be more sympathetic. There are some things though where “saving money” just doesn’t work. Electrical testing and inspection is one of them.

You’re legally bound to have your electrics tested before the commencement of a tenancy. The electrical testing and inspection has to be carried out by a part P qualified electrician. If you don’t comply with the legislation, you could face a fine of as much as £5k – so as you see, not so much of a saving after all.

My own experience with property maintenance in London is that the majority of landlords are honest and keen to keep their tenants safe. They just don’t know exactly what the law tells them they have to do – and more importantly, what they should do as a safe minimum. In my opinion you should be booking electrical testing and inspection on the appliances in your rented properties at least once a year. You can only do that by having a PAT test.

By having electrical equipment tested once a year you’re safeguarding your tenants from potentially faulty items, which they are unlikely to be able to spot themselves. If you leave your electrical testing and inspection to every five years, who knows what could have started to go wrong in the interim?

As I’ve said, the consequences for failing to comply with Regulations even by accident can be heavy. And of course no landlord wants an electrical accident on his or her conscience, nr yet an electrical fire in his or her property. Property maintenance in London isn’t simply something you have to do. It’s something you do to minimise the risk of long term damage to your investment, and to ensure the maximum quality of occupancy for the people who pay your bills.

New Site Aims to Demystify the Green Deal

The Green Deal Scheme gets easier to understand thanks to wide ranging energy efficiency site

London, UK, April 24 2012 – A new energy efficiency website is aiming to demystify the Green Deal Scheme. The site, which provides accredited information for homeowners; landlords; and partners; offers one of the UK’s first comprehensive and impartial resources on the Scheme.

With an associated advice line, a job board for Green Deal Scheme related jobs and a comprehensive FAQ section, Green-Deal-Scheme.org.uk delivers clear information on what homeowners can expect, how they can get it and how they are protected against mis selling.

Importantly for a scheme still in its fledgling stages, the Green-Deal-Scheme site also provides a clear explanation of the way in which the Scheme and its charges work – from appointing a Green Deal Assessor and Supplier to having the work carried out by a nominated Green Deal Installer. Homeowners can also learn how their electricity bills will be set up to repay their finance, and how liability for Green Deal repayments may be transferred to subsequent occupants of the property.

Landlords and Partners don’t miss out either. Landlords can find out how the Scheme applies to the non-domestic property; and how Green Deal Assessors may weight their savings estimates differently according to the different energy tariffs potentially employed by the property owner.

Partners are being encouraged to register their interest in becoming part of the Green-Deal-Scheme.org.uk site, with partnership opportunities for Green Deal Assessors, Green Deal Providers and Green Deal Installers. As information becomes available the site will provide links to training resources and courses for Green Deal Advisors and Green Deal Assessors.

Homeowners can also register their interest in the Green Deal Scheme through the site. Registration is a simple one-screen process. Once interest has been registered the interested party will receive regular updates and relevant news on the progress of the Scheme.

Newsletter

Dear Valued Customer

Many thanks for registering with us in what is to going to be a very exciting time for the Green Deal.

If you are not already aware the Green Deal is going full steam ahead with the first 22 Green Deal Providers already signed up last week, and according to DECC we are still estimated to be go live early October 2012. For those who have expressed an interest in the Green Deal we will be contacting you individually nearer the time to discuss your requirements.

New EPC

If you are not aware the new EPC rules began on the 6^th April 2012 which in simple terms means that the certificate has been designed to be more user friendly and informative.

"The Energy Performance Certificate has proved useful in putting the efficiency of our homes at the forefront of our minds, but homeowners can often struggle to know how to act on the advice it gives.

"That's why we're giving it a complete redesign, making it clearer and easier to understand and putting the recommendations for improvements into matters of pounds and pence by showing how much consumers could potentially save on their energy bills.

"And by making the national register of Energy Performance Certificates open to the public, each homeowner will for the first time be able to see how their property compares with others, and where changes could be made so their homes become as eco-friendly as possible."

The new legislation also states that EPC’s will be required for marketing of non-domestic rental properties as well as residential properties. Written particulars will have to include a copy of the first page of the EPC , it will no longer be acceptable to only include the asset rating.

Please see below for the latest update which was made by Greg Barker

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/ecobuild/ecobuild.aspx

As one of the early movers in the Green Deal Scheme we have been approached by a variety of interested parties from homeowners to landlords, potential green deal advisors, installers and providers, asking us lots of questions as to what is going to happen next. Please continue to do so as we are here to help raise awareness as well as market to you, our Green Deal services.

This is the first of many updates we will be making and we encourage you to follow us on our various Social platforms some of which have already begun giving out information

Facebook (Green-deal-scheme)

Twitter (@greendealschem)

Linkedin (Join our Group on Linkedin - The Green Deal Scheme)

Blog (http://www.greendealscheme.blogspot.com/)

YouTube (www.youtube.com/GreenDealScheme)

Subscription on our website www.green-deal-scheme.org.uk to received regular updates

Please keep your feedback and comments coming in order to improve our service to you!