Upgrading solid wall properties with external wall insulation systems has been progressing through funding from CESP (Community Energy Saving Programme) and CERT (Carbon Emissions Reduction Target) schemes, both which are due to end in December 2012. The successor will be one single new scheme ECO (Energy Company Obligation) and this will sit alongside the government led Green Deal.
weber.therm EWI systems are BBA Certified and approved by Ofgem for use on grant funded schemes and homeowners, social and private landlords are likely to be eligible for funding support via one of these schemes. Weber can help in this process as it has established relationships with energy suppliers and managing agents to smooth the administration associated with applying for and securing funding.
CESP (Community Energy Saving Programme)
This scheme has been running since 2010 with £350m of funding through energy suppliers aimed at reducing carbon emissions and energy bills in the most deprived communities. This programme is targeting communities in the most deprived areas with multiple measures, including external wall insulation, to improve thermal efficiency and heating. Weber is able to provide advice and support to help generate funding for qualifying local authorities, RSL’s and community groups.
CERT (Carbon Emissions Reduction Target)
CERT began in 2008 and is aimed at reducing the energy usage of individual homes, it has focussed on insulation measures for cavity walls and lofts, but external wall insulation is included within qualifying
measures so funding support may be available for both individual householders as well as social and private landlords.
ECO (Energy Company Obligation)
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) will take over from CERT and CESP in addressing energy efficiency in the domestic sector.
The ECO obligation on energy suppliers will be split into two parts – the Carbon element focusing upon more expensive measures such as external wall insulation where the receipt of grant funding
will encourage social and private uptake – and the Affordable Warmth element aimed at helping the fuel poor and vulnerable. By linking with the Green Deal, ECO will ensure that external wall insulation ‘pays for itself’ through reduced energy bills over the lifetime of the installed system.
Green Deal
From October 2012 the introduction of the governments new “Green Deal” financial mechanism will eliminate the need to pay upfront for energy efficiency measures and instead the cost of the measures will be recovered through instalments made on energy bills over several. Any Green Deal measure must meet the “Golden Rule”, in other words the savings on energy bills should be greater than the instalments paid through the energy bill.
External wall insulation may not meet the “Golden Rule” but the availability of significant ECO funding reduces the size of the Green Deal loan, thereby meeting the Golden Rule criteria. Green Deal and ECO are underpinned by comprehensive accreditation of the systems, installers and assessors of the property and Weber is already achieving compliance in these areas in order to be “Green Deal Ready” for the start of the scheme.