Green Deal Quick Guides

The Green Deal helps you make energy-saving home improvements, like insulation, to make your home more comfortable. This scheme lets you pay for some or all of the improvements over time on your electricity bill. Repayments will be no more than what a typical household should save in energy costs.
Quick guides on the Green Deal are available below for householders, owners, tenants and landlords.

Introduction to the Green Deal

The Green Deal - a new way to pay for home improvements, highlights some ways you could improve your home and how to get a Green Deal.

• Introductory quick guide to the Green Deal

Green Deal for residential landlords

You can also get a Green Deal for residential properties that are rented – but both the landlord and tenant must give permission.

• Quick guide to the Green Deal for residential landlords

Green Deal for social housing tenants

As a social housing tenant you can take advantage of the Green Deal too, with your landlord’s permission.

• Quick guide to the Green Deal for social housing tenants

Green Deal for social housing providers

Social housing providers can participate in the Green Deal and help to improve housing stock for their tenants.

• Quick guide to the Green Deal for social housing providers

The Green Deal assessment

The Green Deal starts with an impartial assessment of your property. A Green Deal Assessor will come to your home, talk to you about your energy use and see if you could benefit from making energy efficiency improvements to your home. Don’t forget to look out  for the Green Deal Approved quality mark.  Only approved Assessors can use the mark and operate under the Green Deal.

• The Green Deal Assessment – what to expect
• After your Green Deal Assessment

Moving into a home with a Green Deal

A home with a Green Deal has had energy-saving improvements, like a boiler or improved insulation, to help make it more energy efficient.  If you are moving into a home with a Green Deal the owner or landlord must provide you with relevant information. As the new occupier of the home you’ll need to make repayments for the improvements through the electricity bill.

• Moving into a home with a Green Deal

Energy Company Obligation

Some householders in older properties, and those on benefits or low incomes may qualify for extra financial assistance through the Energy Company Obligation. This is  a new scheme, funded by energy suppliers,  to help reduce Britain’s energy consumption. The quick guide on the Energy Company Obligation provides you with  more information tells you how you can find out if you may be eligible.

• Quick guide on the Energy Company Obligation

Consumer Protection

Your consumer rights and protection have been considered at every stage of the Green Deal. You can get free and impartial advice about the Green Deal through the Energy Saving Advice Service. Green Deals are also regulated under the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

• The Green Deal – consumer protection

The Green Deal and businesses

If your business is involved in supplying and installing energy saving products you can get involved  in the Green Deal.

• Green Deal – how your business can benefit

The Green Deal - Cashback for energy-saving home improvers 

The Green Deal Cashback Scheme is a first-come, first-served offer where householders can claim cash back from Government on energy saving improvements like insulation, front doors, windows and boilers.
Green Deal - Cashback for energy-saving home improvers

Governments Solar and biomass support packages published

Press notice: 12/167

18 December 2012

The solar photovoltaic (PV) industry and biomass developers were today given certainty on projects to be supported under the Government’s Renewables Obligation (RO).

In order to incentivise solar projects on buildings, building-mounted solar PV projects will receive higher rates than ground-mounted projects. This will encourage the installation of solar projects at large factory or warehouse buildings.

The Government also announced today decisions that will ensure that the RO brings forward new biomass projects that are both cost and carbon effective. The support set out could unlock investment decisions worth £600m, creating around 1,000 construction jobs.

Edward Davey, Energy and Climate Change Secretary, said:
“We want to see a healthy solar industry that grows in a sustainable way. That’s why our support levels reflect the fall in the cost of the technology.
“Biomass will make a significant contribution as we seek to increase the amount of cost-effective, low carbon renewable power in our energy mix. The support we are setting out today will bring new investment into the economy and create new jobs.”

On solar, Greg Barker, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, added:
“We have listened to industry about the need to differentiate support between building mounted and ground mounted installations and we have introduced two bands as a result.
“Our proposals for solar projects on commercial buildings will encourage businesses to consider solar PV as a serious option for meeting their power needs.”

Notes for editors:

1. The Government Response, including rates for solar and the decisions on biomass are both available on the DECC website.
2. Solar power developers are able to choose between the Feed in Tariff scheme and the Renewables Obligation for projects between 50kW and 5MW.

More information on how the Green Deal will be boosted with the £2.9m marketing budget in the New Year!

As per Ball Contractors webiste we are please to announce further information on the marketing budget for the Governments flagship Green Deal.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has launched an online registration portal for those interested in taking part in the scheme as well as releasing places to develop a national Open Homes network, allowing people to see the benefits of an energy improved household.

DECC has been granted an exemption to the government’s marketing freeze for the two developments, seeing an initial £2.9m injection to cover both digital and traditional channels.

The Open Homes network will aim to make it easier for homeowners to find house that have been improved by energy saving retrofits.

Additionally, DECC has launched its online Green Deal Cashback Portal where Green Deal providers, charities and community interest companies wishing to partake in the scheme must register. The cashback will be administered by Capita.

Greg Barker, Minister of Energy and Climate Change said:

“We are making excellent progress on the Green Deal ahead of the key date of 28 January 2013, when the first Green Deals can be signed. We now have funds for a communications campaign that will build further understanding of the Green Deal, helping to create a real buzz.”

“We are also supporting development of a national Open Homes network which will show people just how great their home could look and feel with exciting energy efficient upgrades. When you add our fantastic cash back into the mix, it’s clear that the Green Deal is building momentum and will be a brilliant offer for people.”

The above information was gathered from:

Department of Energy and Climate Change
New Energy World Network

Why do we need renewable energy in the UK?

As noted on Ball Contractors website news page, Why?

For a whole variety of reasons.

• It will help us get off the fossil fuel hook and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

• If we meet our target of delivering 15% renewables by 2020 it will reduce our overall fossil fuel demand by around 10%.
• Our gas imports will reduce by 20-30% against what they would have been in 2020.
• More renewable energy will also bring outstanding opportunities to create jobs and we will become more energy secure.

How the Green Deal works

Information gathered from;

www.gov.uk/green-deal-energy-saving-measures

 Getting involved

1. Get an assessment of your property - this will tell you what improvements you can make and estimate how much you could save on your energy bills.
2. Choose a Green Deal provider to carry out the work. You discuss with them what work you want done and whether the Green Deal is right for you.
3. If you go ahead with the improvements you must sign your Green Deal Plan - this is a contract between you and the provider stating what work will be done and how much it will cost. The provider will then arrange for a Green Deal installer to do the work.
4. Once the work is done, you’ll pay off the money in instalments through your electricity bill

Getting an assessment

You’ll need to choose an authorised Green Deal assessor. They will visit your home, talk to you about your property and your energy use and tell you whether you could benefit from Green Deal improvements.
You’ll be given a Green Deal Advice Report - this will explain what improvements you can make and estimate how much you could save on your energy bills.

You may have to pay for an assessment - you should check with the assessor before the appointment.

If the assessor intends to quote for improvements, or recommend specific products or providers, they’ll need your permission before they do the assessment.

Repayments

The amount you repay for Green Deal improvements is based on what a typical household is expected to save on energy bills by having the work done.
The cost will be shown on your Green Deal Plan (the contract between you and the provider), and will include the interest rate.
Most improvements should reduce your heating bill because you’ll be using less electricity, gas or oil - but the actual savings depend on your energy use and the future cost of energy.

Before you sign your Green Deal Plan, check you understand the repayment rules.

How you repay

You’ll pay the money back through your electricity bill. This is so that the Green Deal stays with the house - ie if you move, you no longer benefit from the improvements and therefore stop paying for them.
If you have a prepayment meter, a small amount will be taken from the meter each day instead.

You can pay off your Green Deal early, but you might be charged a fee - check with your provider.

Help with costs

If you’re on benefits, a low income or live in an old property, you may be able to get help with costs. Contact the Energy Saving Advice Service.

Moving into a property with a Green Deal

If you move into a property with a Green Deal, the landlord or seller must show you a copy of the Energy Performance Certificate - this will explain what improvements have been made and how much you’ll need to repay.
The person who pays the electricity bill pays the money back - so if you’re a tenant in a rented property, you’ll be paying back the costs, not the landlord. This is because the tenant can expect to benefit from lower energy costs.

You can change electricity supplier, but only if the new supplier is participating in the Green Deal.

Get more information

If you have questions about improvements, warranties or repayments, contact the Green Deal provider - their contact details will be on your Energy Performance Certificate.
If you have a complaint and it can’t be dealt with by the Green Deal provider or supplier, contact the Green Deal Ombudsman.

Cashback scheme

You may be able to claim back money from the government if you make energy saving improvements to your home under the Green Deal.
The scheme will run for a limited period, and is available for householders (eg home-owners, tenants etc). Landlords are eligible if they pay for installation.

You can choose to donate some or all of your cashback to a charity or community interest company signed up with the scheme.

How to apply

Householders can’t apply until January 2013.

For more information on the scheme, and to see what improvements you’ll be able to claim for, see the Green Deal Cashback website.
If you’re a provider wanting to help customers get involved, or a charity wanting to receive donations, you’ll need to register.

Green Deal mark

Green Deal assessors must be authorised to act under the Green Deal - look for the Green Deal Approved Quality Mark.

Green Deal providers and installers must also be authorised - they will display the quality mark if they are.

More progress on the Green Deal in UK

09-12-2012
The Green Deal continues to build momentum ahead of the first deals being available on 28 January 2013, with money for a new communications campaign confirmed and a key regulatory milestone reached to bring the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) into force.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has been granted an exemption to the Government marketing freeze for a campaign that will build understanding and trust of the Green Deal. An initial £2.9 million is available to cover digital and traditional channels.
Further Green Deal progress confirmed today includes:
Plans to develop a national Open Homes network, making it easy for people to
find and see homes that have been improved by energy saving retrofits
Opening of the online Green Deal Cashback Portal where Green Deal
Providers, charities and Community Interest Companies wishing to take
part in the Cashback Scheme must register
Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said, “We are making excellent progress on the Green Deal ahead of the key date of 28 January 2013, when the first Green Deals can be signed. We now have funds for a communications campaign that will build further understanding of the Green Deal, helping to create a real buzz. We are also supporting development of a national Open Homes network which will show people just how great their home could look and feel with exciting energy efficient upgrades. When you add our fantastic cash back into the mix, it’s clear that the Green Deal is building momentum and will be a brilliant offer for people.”
DECC will invest an initial £2.9 million up to April 2013 to promote the Green Deal, supported by the Energy Saving Advice Service, the new Green Deal pages on gov.uk/greendeal and the Green Deal Cashback Scheme. It has also been confirmed that the Cashback Scheme will be administered by Capita.