Green Deal

The Energy Act 2011 includes provisions for the new 'Green Deal', which intends to reduce carbon emissions cost effectively by revolutionising the energy efficiency of British properties.

The new innovative Green Deal financial mechanism eliminates the need to pay upfront for energy efficiency measures and instead provides reassurances that the cost of the measures should be covered by savings on the electricity bill.  In fact when it was first put out to the public forum the Green Deal came with a "golden rule" - the expected financial savings must be equal to or greater than the costs attached to the energy bill - I am sad to see that the golden rule has already been amended!!!  Now it reads - the expected energy savings must outweigh the cost of any improvements for the loan to be given.  A limit has also now been set of maximum £10,000 for any home.

"When it is introduced, the Green Deal will be as easy as ABC by making work affordable, providing bespoke indepenedent advice and choice in the market from well-known and trusted high street names" - so said Chris Huhne when he was Energy and Climate Change Secretary.   Hmm - let's just wait and see what else changes before it is finally launched as a working scheme to benefit you and me!

 E.C.O.

A new Energy Company Obligation will integrate with the Green Deal, allowing supplier subsidy and Green Deal Finance to come together into one seamless offer to the consumer.


Ok - so that's the official line - now personally I am not convinced yet.  I attended the first CIBSE training course on the Green Deal and frankly I came away rather disillusioned as it seems that the major Energy Companies and major product Suppliers will be able to not only provide the energy saving measures but also the "independent advice" that recommends the measures in the first place.

Forgive me if I am missing something but isn't that the exact opposite of "independent advice"???

Now as you may know or have gathered from this website I don't really do domestic stuff - which is not to say I don't do the washing up or the ironing 'cos I do - in fact I am rather good at ironing - sorry got distracted - but I am not really into the domestic end of energy saving because it is a very cut throat business since the introduction of EPC's for dwellings.

However, the business end of the Green Deal is clearly of direct interest, particularly in view of the decline of the Carbon Trust - so again, here is the offical line first.

Non-domestic sector

The assessment method for non-domestic buildings will build upon the existing SBEM methodology for producing an EPC, taking into account the way the existing occupants use the building to produce estimated energy savings and recommendations.  Great says Stewart - I am fully conversant with iSBEM!

What are the requirements to be a qualified, authorised advisor?

A qualified, authorised Green Deal Advisor is any individual who:

  • meets requirements to be set out in both the National Occupational Standards for Green Deal Advisors; 
  • is employed by an organisation certified by the appointed accreditation body against the relevant Green Deal Scheme Standard, has signed the Code of Practice, and appears on the Green Deal register. 

    Ah says Stewart - to be set out - watch this space

How will advisors get paid?

To enable flexibility, the approach to payment of assessors and the price of the assessment will be determined by the market.   Uh Oh says Stewart - Dutch auction time - cheapest bidder gets the survey but will he be a). able to review all of your energy consumption and b). independent - you guess!

Research suggested that to enable a wide appeal a variety of payment solutions should be available. Once the Green Deal is established, the market will be monitored to ensure it is operating effectively.

How will advisors’ work be monitored/ quality assured?

We believe that those providing Green Deal assessments and associated advice should be certified by an accredited certification body. These certification bodies will be accredited to deliver certification in line with a Green Deal Scheme Standard that will cover both what is expected of them and what is expected of the companies/organisations delivering assessor services. The United Kingdom Accreditation service (UKAS), has been appointed to independently accredit the certification bodies.

Stewart says - but hang on - haven't we got a pool of Consultants fully accredited by the Carbon Trust, all totally independent and able to review every aspect of your energy consumption - not some rag tag bunch of double glazing salesmen who have been through a one day SBEM training course?

How do I get trained as a Green Deal advisor?

Training will not be available until the National Occupational Standards for Green Deal Advisors have been developed and qualifications that are based on those NOS have been endorsed by Asset Skills. We anticipate that learning providers will begin to offer training that leads to a Green Deal Advisor certificate/qualification from April/May 2012. Further information will be provided about routes for the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) in early 2012.  We wait with bated breath.

How do I become employed as a Green Deal assessor?

The Green Deal assessor may be employed in one of several ways. They could be:

  1. a salaried employee or sub-contractor of one or more Green Deal providers/installers - independence alert!!
  2. an independent, self-employed Green Deal assessor commissioned directly by a consumer
  3. a public/third sector official or representative of a civil society organisation funded (or self-funded) to deliver Green Deal assessments 

    Dutch Auction Alert!

One of the other golden rules is that "the assessor must be impartial and maintain impartiality when identifying effective measures to reduce energy consumption and achieve carbon reduction" - ok so how does that work when the assessor is directly employed by one of the Suppliers?

I dunno - I may just be overly cynical and here's hoping that the scheme does take off in a meaningful fashion and - with all due respect to the well known and trusted high street names - I hope that I don't have to go work for them in order to provide surveys under the Green Deal 'cos I don't look great in black and orange!

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