Last month’s announcements passed most people by, possibly because making ends meet and looking to cut costs in the run up to Christmas is much more of a priority.
The Green Deal - is it for me?
So what did happen then? The biggest change was that the consumer no longer has to dip into their savings to benefit from the potential benefits of green technology. The cost of buying and installing photovoltaic panels will be spread out over time to become an on-going charge on the consumers electricity bill. The benefits should outweigh the extra costs meaning the consumer will still have a much lower electricity bill.
There is a downside to this and that is the proposed reduction of the feed in tariff, which is going to be almost halved.
Before work can take place you have to be able to demonstrate that you have brought your house up to a minimum standard of energy efficiency. The majority of homes currently achieve an energy efficiency rating of D or E. To access the Green Deal your property needs to achieve a C rating. Many properties will need to improve there basic levels of insulation which can be achieved quite cheaply by improving existing levels of loft insulation and having cavity wall insulation installed. If your house has solid brick or stone walls upgrading your boiler to a condensing boiler would make a significant change. The cost of such a change could be covered by the Green Deal.
The Green Deal officially starts in October 2012 but various elements are expected to be phased in before then. To keep up to date follow our blog. If you want to plan ahead the first step is to get an EPC to see if your house is going to qualify. No harm in getting in early, the EPC is valid for ten years. To order your EPC and for all your domestic energy advice contact Home Inspection Services in Rossendale, Lancashire.
Home Inspection Services in Rossendale, provide independent property advice, offering EPCs, surveys, inventories, floor plans, and property marketing.