Green Deal flop - new figures released

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Commenting on the release on Thursday, June 27, 2013 on the first official statistics of take up of the Government's flagship Green Deal scheme for energy efficiency, Friends of the Earth's Warm Homes Campaigner Dave Timms said that the figures are a disaster but not unexpected. “The Green Deal's potential”, he continued, “has been absurdly overhyped by Ministers to cover the fact they didn't have a comprehensive strategy for insulating the UK's cold, expensive to heat homes.”

To which he added: “Saving energy is vital for making energy bills affordable and tackling climate change, but with only four households taking up loans since the Green Deal began, the Government's efforts are falling embarrassingly short.

“Lower interest rates, more incentives and tough regulations on landlords to improve the worst insulated rented homes would all increase the take-up of energy efficiency measures.

“The fuel poor especially have been left in the cold by recent cuts to Government energy efficiency schemes, which must be reversed.”

For the figures on the Green Deal visit DECC's website.

The “greenest government ever” still has not delivered despite all the promises and all the hype that accompanied the statements that were made when the Con-Dem coalition took office.

In fact, instead of real green measures all this government has done is supporting those that are responsible for pollution and the gases that contribute to an acceleration of climate change.

The feed-in tariff was reduced more and more even though the people not even received, in the UK, unlike in Germany and other countries, the wholesale price of electricity of the energy they fed into the grid from their solar or wind installations. A proper return on investment might have caused a great uptake as would have enforcing the legislation that said that no planing permission be required any more for solar PV and small wind installations.

While Whitehall said that it was supposed to be a right to install such local authorities still demanded the planing process and more often than not refused permission.

The “greenest government ever” simply never delivered on its hyped up promises and still does not. It rather supports an energy industry that will leave our children and grandchildren and their children and generations to come a dangerous legacy in the form of nuclear waste.

We do not need a new government; we need a new system.

© 2013

Green Deal – does the guarantee last as long as the loan?

The Green Deal is here and the first consumers should be negotiating loans to finance energy efficient measures for their homes. However, although assessors will check measures meet the ‘Golden Rule’ (that is, the energy savings made should cover the cost of repayments, which will be made through the consumer’s energy bills), guarantees also need to be considered.

For example, a recent report suggests as many as 19 million doors could qualify for replacement with high-performance insulating doors (typically composite doors) under the Green Deal’s terms. (Commissioned by Door-Stop, the report, published in November 2012, estimates that there are 31 million doors over 10 years old installed in UK dwellings. And replacing 19 million of these doors with high performing insulating doors would produce appreciable annual energy and money savings for the homeowner.)

It’s thought that loans for this type of product will be taken for a period of 5 to 10 years, but most composite doors are only part-guaranteed for a maximum of 5 years, with only one manufacturer so far (Door-Stop) offering a 10 year guarantee on every element (furniture, glazing, locks) of its standard door. Without a 10 year guarantee consumers could face making repayments for a product after its guarantee has expired. That’s OK if the product still works, but a problem if the product has failed. Consumer protection is an integral part of the Green Deal and it’s a requirement of the scheme that the term of the loan is no longer than the lifetime of the measure.

Green Deal Providers have to work with the manufacturer to define this ‘lifetime’ so products with a 10 year guarantee will have an immediate advantage. Householders could find that if a problem arises after the warranty has expired they will still be paying for a non-functioning product and will have no protection.

Many major providers of Green Deal products have already taken this into account, with boiler manufacturers and cavity wall insulation companies extending guarantee periods on their products. Cavity wall insulation will be guaranteed for 25 years, and some boilers now have 5 year warranties. But it pays the consumer to be careful and ensure they have a guarantee to match their loan.

For more information on the Green Deal see www.greendealinitiative.co.uk.

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