A new government incentive is giving homeowners the chance to deck their home out with some high-tech, energy renewing gear.
Buyers won’t need to pay the money up front; the loan is to be paid back at a rate according to each individual Green Deal Plan as discussed between customer and provider. Payback will go through electricity bills at a maximum rate of 6.92%, and can be repaid for up to 25 years. And with energy prices always increasing, it’s a good idea to look into the Green Deal.
Before you can start shopping around for energy conscious additions to the home, you’ll need to arrange a visit from an assessor to make sure The Green Deal will work for you. Then Green Deal installers will talk you through the potential improvements and the costs.
Potential improvements which could help reduce your carbon footprint include:
- Double-glazing installation
- Insulation (loft and wall)
- Draft-proofing
- Renewable energy – solar panels
- Heating controls
- Solar blinds and shading
Renewable energy
This is where the hi-tech stuff comes in. Renewable energy sources are making a real splash in the eco-conscious world since they are entirely non-polluting and surprisingly easy to maintain. If you’re thinking of using the Green Deal to lessen the carbon footprint of your home, renewable energy sources may be the first on your list.
For one, solar panels and wind turbines rely on the weather to create energy, and don’t consume gas or electricity while doing so. Not only is this good for taking money off your energy bill, but those lack of carbon emissions help keep the ozone layer from decaying.
And the energy used won’t be used up; as long as the sun is still shining and the wind still blowing, you can produce renewable energy.
Converting daylight into energy, solar panels can power your appliances and if they are producing more energy than your household needs, you can sell the excess supply to energy suppliers.
Unfortunately, right now you can’t get solar PV on the Green Deal. Speaking on behalf of Dulas, Katy Jones said:
“The feed in tariff incentive from the UK government is encouraging many people to consider installing renewable energy technologies; it will naturally mean that some renewables companies also look to offer energy efficiency measures as part of their product portfolios.
From our perspective, Solar PV is a viable, cost effective way to generate free electricity and is especially good for high energy users looking to reduce their energy costs or with Carbon Reduction Commitments to meet”, she added.
It’s never been a better time to look into renewable energy, and with the government offering you some support, the ecological home of the future isn’t as far away as you think.
