GREEN DEAL CASHBACK FOR HOUSEHOLDERS

The Green Deal Cashback Scheme is a first-come, first-served offer where householders can claim cashback from Government on energy saving improvements like insulation, front doors, windows and boilers. Packages could be worth over £1000 - the more you do, the more you get. It is available from 28 January 2013 for households in England and Wales.

The Cashback will only be available to householders who get a Green Deal  assessment, have work arranged through a Green Deal Provider (this could be directly with a national brand or through a local tradesperson linked with a Provider) and make a contribution to costs. 

The Government Cashback is a limited offer while funds last. Green Deal Participants can encourage their customers to get Green Deal assessments early so, when the scheme opens, customers are ready to apply and get approval, for their Cashback voucher before improvement work begins. A new quick guide on the Cashback scheme is available.[filetype:pdf filesize: 838.38Kb]

Government has guaranteed that £40m will be available at the rates listed in this guide. After this, Cashback amounts may reduce.

Full details of the Green Deal Cashback scheme (including how to apply) will be available later. If you would like to be notified when this becomes available, please call the Energy Savings Advice Service on 0300 123 1234.

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CASHBACK ELIGIBILITY

The Cashback is open to any householder making energy saving improvements under the Green Deal, after 28th January 2013. This includes owner-occupiers, those renting privately or in social housing. Landlords, both private and social, are also eligible where they pay installation costs, up to certain limits. In all cases, Cashback will be capped at 50% of the householder’s contribution to costs.

To qualify for the Cashback householders must:

• have a Green Deal assessment carried out on the property
• get and agree quotes from a Green Deal  Provider (this could be directly with a national brand or through a local tradesperson linked with a Provider) 
• apply for Cashback voucher online or by phone. To make things easier some Providers will be able to apply on behalf of their customers
• receive voucher confirming the Cashback
• complete works within specified period 
• redeem voucher, along with evidence of works completed, for Cashback.

Work must be done within a specified period - 6 months for Solid Wall Insulation, 3 months for other improvements and in all cases before 31 March 2014 to claim the Cashback.

Householders can fund improvements through a Green Deal Plan, or however they wish, and get the Cashback but they must use a Green Deal Provider to arrange the work. The more improvements a householder makes, the bigger the Cashback.

Householders can only make one claim for the Cashback, but it may cover a package of improvements recommended by the Green Deal assessment. The Government Cashback is separate and additional to any similar offers that may be made by Green Deal Providers.

Householders can also choose to donate some or all of their Cashback to a charity or community interest company of their choice signed up with the scheme administrator.

GREEN DEAL CASHBACK SCHEME: ELIGIBLE MEASURES AND CASH BACK AMOUNTS

These rates are guaranteed for the first £40m after which the rates are likely to reduce. Act early to get the best rates. Up to £125m has been earmarked for the scheme as a whole.

Loft insulation (including top up) and insulating cavity walls (where appropriate) are important, basic energy saving measures.  So where a Green Deal assessment recommends these alongside other improvements, householders will only be able to get the Cashback if they do those too.

ENERGY SAVING MEASURE	CASHBACK LEVEL
Loft insulation (incl.top up)	£100
Cavity Wall Insulation	£250
Solid Wall Insulation*	£650
Flat roof insulation	£390
Room in roof insulation	£220
Floor insulation	£150
Hot water cylinder insulation (top up)**	£10
Draught proofing	£50
Heating controls (roomstat and/or programmer & time/temperature zone controls)**	£70
Condensing oil boiler from non-condensing oil heating or other ***	£310
Upgrade boiler to condensing gas boiler from non-condensing boiler or other.	£270
Flue Gas heat recovery (condensing combi boiler) only alongside replacement boiler	£90
New or replacement storage heaters	£150
Replacement warm-air unit	£60
Waste water heat recovery systems	£60
Double/Triple Glazing (old single to A)	£20 per m2 up to a maximum of £320
Secondary glazing	£15 per m2 up to a maximum of £230
High performance replacement doors	£40

FURTHER CONDITIONS OF CASH BACK

* A minimum of 50% of external walls must be insulated to qualify for a Cashback.

** Cannot be claimed at same time as boiler replacement (as this is a regulatory requirement).

***householders should consider their renewable heat options, as they could get a higher payment under RHPP now, for certain measures.

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FAQS

When will people be able to apply to the scheme?

The scheme will open for applications at the end of January 2013 at the same time as the Green Deal becomes available.

Can I have measures installed now then claim for the Cashback subsequently?

No, the Cashback is only available for installations that take place after the scheme launches – but you can have your assessment done and get quotes for work before then.

Why are you capping Cashback amounts at a percentage of the applicant’s costs?

Some households will benefit from energy efficiency measures being installed for free, or at a significantly subsidised cost – primarily as a result of subsidy from the Energy Company Obligation. We want to avoid over-rewarding people who are already benefiting in this way.

What does this have to do with the £150 that Green Deal providers can offer customers?

The Cashback scheme will be separate and in addition to any other ‘incentives’ offered by providers. For example, the Energy Bill allows for up to £150 to be ‘forwarded’ to the customer as an incentive and then repaid as part of the Green Deal plan. Providers may choose to offer this, or incentives funded by other means, in addition to the Government Cashback. Providers will be required to make any such distinctions clear to customers.

I’m getting my energy-saving improvements for free – can I qualify for Cashback?

No.

Practical Green Deal Solutions Explained – Biomass and Business

The business arm of the Green Deal initiative is intended to help businesses get financing for implementing more eco-friendly ways to generate heat and power in their properties. Like the Deal itself, some of the technologies under discussion have been clouded with hearsay. So we thought we’d knock down a few myths for you. This month – biomass.

Biomass is used to generate heat in a biomass boiler – which, some sceptics have claimed, is no different to generating heat using oil or coal. After all, biomass boilers tend to used wood as their basic fuel, which generates carbon dioxide when it burns.

In reality, biomass is considered to have a neutral carbon footprint – for two reasons. First, trees are planted to replace the ones being burned, which means they use up an equal amount of carbon dioxide (roughly) as is created when the biomass is incinerated. And second, biomass itself is created from offcuts and compressed sawdust. In other words – it is reclaimed from processes using trees that have already been cut down – so it uses material that may otherwise have been consigned to the dustbin.

One major concern about the biomass boiler is that it is hard to install and keep running. This is only true where installation is done improperly. A biomass boiler requires a flue, which may either be fitted to the existing chimney system in a property, or drilled out through a wall in the same way that domestic wood burning systems are fitted.

If the latter case is true, you will need to get planning permission before you can start work on retro fitting a biomass boiler to your heating system. All new flues must be granted planning before installation – and must be inspected and signed off by the relevant buildings officials once installation is complete.

Using the Renewable Heat Initiative, businesses may expect to see a return on the investment cost of installing a biomass boiler in 5-10 years. As with other Green Deal financing options, this cost is spread through energy bills. 

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!