Green Deal: What’s it all about?
It seems like the Green Deal is mentioned anywhere and everywhere at the moment – it’s a newly launched government initiative aiming to help households become more energy efficient. The scheme helps people through providing one-off payments and loans that can be used against things like energy efficient boilers, insulation, cavity wall insulation and much more.
Who’s eligible?
Eligibility for the Green Deal is determined by the energy efficiency of a property – if your property is already very efficient, the chances are that you’ll be unable to get funding. The scheme works on the difference between the cost of implementing energy saving methods, versus the amount of money you’ll save through the installation. If the savings are small when installation costs have been taken into account, the chances are that your application will not be successful.
The Green Deal is open to landlords too – so if you’re a tenant in a rented property it might be a scheme worth discussing with your landlord. Although landlords give the final go ahead, they must first seek permission from tenants to go ahead with the scheme – loans handed out under the scheme are repaid through higher energy bills – usually footed by tenants themselves. Loan repayments are added onto energy bills and the loan remains tied to the property – if you move out, the loan will be repaid by the next owner or tenant via their energy bills.
How can Green Deal help you?
The Green Deal is there to help reduce energy consumption (and consequently monthly energy bills) through the more efficient use of energy. This is achieved in varying ways depending on the property in question – here are some of the areas that the Green Deal covers:
Insulation: Lots of heat is lost through lofts and the walls of buildings. If you don’t have any insulation in your loft then you could see a noticeable reduction in your energy bills by installing loft insulation. The same goes for cavity wall installation. These tend to be the two most common energy saving methods employed by participants on the Green Deal.
Heating: Various components of your central heating system might not be up to standard – old boilers are notoriously inefficient. Boilers with a low energy rating can be swapped out for new condensing boilers – most of which have an energy rating of “A” (which is as good as it gets).
Draft proofing and double-glazing: By closing up gaps beneath doors and in window frames you can stop energy escaping. By replacing old, worn wooden window frames you can also reduce energy consumption. Draft proofing and the installation of double-glazed windows and doors is covered by the Green Scheme.
Winter is a constant in our lives, so if you’re serious about making your home more energy efficient, now’s the time to look into the Green Scheme in closer detail.
