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The Green Deal for Home – Explained

by | Jun 26, 2014 | Biomass Energy, Combined Heat & Power, Energy Deals & Offers, Energy Efficiency, Green Deal, Green Electricity & Gas, Heat Pumps, Solar Energy, Sustainable Living

Green Deal Plan for Home: Here is the Start to Finish Process

It’s called the Green Deal – a project designed to help you make energy saving improvements at home and also to find the ideal way to make payments for the same. Home improvements for maximum energy conservation generally depend upon the structure of the house. However the main focus of the project should be including solid wall insulation, double glazing, boiler upgrades, and much many other things discussed below.

After many years of talking and planning about the Green Deal, the flagship energy saving scheme designed by the government is finally up and running. The aim of the project is to make every house warmer and much cheaper to run. To achieve this however, people are not required to shell large sums of money upfront. 

The Green Deal project typically comprises of the following stages:

1. Assessment

Assessment involves inspection of your home or office premises by a fully accredited Green Deal Advisors. The respective advisor will perform the following functions:

  • Survey the entire property and come up with EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) in order to ascertain the current energy rating and also to recognize the types of developments which the Green Deal can fund.
  • In case the EPC recognizes any suitable measure fit for attaining Green Deal finance, the Green Deal Assessor will commence a Green Deal Occupancy Assessment and recognize what improvements are going to be cost effective and look out for any scope of cash back or subsidies.
  • Explain in detail the entire payment process
  • Prepare a Green Deal advice report that will outline all your available options
  • Also assist you in selecting a Green Deal Provider
  • Supervise the home improvement installations and sign off as soon as the work is complete.

2. Installation

The Green Deal Advisor will fix up with the Green Deal Provider and appoint a suitable Green Deal Installer for you. The installer will then make the required home improvement jobs – you and the Green Deal Advisor agreed upon. You are required to constantly access the installer to ensure he fulfills all the standards laid down by the Green Deal.

3. Repayment

You are required to pay back the cost of your various home improvement jobs over a period of time by means of electricity bills. Here your electricity supplier is supposed to pass on your payments to the respective Green Deal Provider. It is to be noted that the amount you pay via your electricity bill is not going to be more than you save upon your heating bills. This way you are guaranteed to be in profit from the very first day.

You’ll be required to pay for your home improvement services, but the payment you make will never be considered as your conventional personal loan. Reason – the payment will be attached to your electricity meter and paid back in the form of electricity bill. In case you vacate the property, the charge will be picked up by the new occupant, who will also benefit from the energy-efficient property.

A regular interest will be charged on all payments, but the rate will be fixed. In addition, you will be shown a complete schedule of all the payments before you finally sign up the plan.

Improvements covered by the Green Deal include:

  • Insulation
  • Glazing
  • Heating and hot power
  • Microgeneration

The non-domestic centers would also cover mechanical ventilation, heat recovery measures and lighting.

Incentives to Begin the Green Deal Scheme

Recently, the government launched the Green Deal Cask Back Scheme in an attempt to encourage more homeowners to take up home improvements right in the early days of Green Deal.

According to the scheme, the most eligible candidates will receive cash back guarantee as soon as they get their measures installed. The highest rates will be allotted to the earliest applicants.

The ECO (Energy Company Obligation)

The ECO for the large six energy suppliers comprises of three parts, including:

1. Affordable Warm Obligation

This will provide heating and hot water saving measures, glazing, micro generation technology and insulation to vulnerable and low-income households. There are however complex eligibility criteria for this scheme.

2. Carbon Saving Obligation

CSO is a means to provide funding in order to insulate solid-walled premises including those with tough to treat cavity walls.

3. Carbon Saving Communities Obligation

This will provide glazing and insulation measures to all people comprising of bottom 15% of the most deprived areas in UK.