Research by the Gentoo Group seems to suggest that the Green Deal is capable of meeting its full potential, after nearly 80% of residents who took part in a survey said they would be willing to pay a fee for undertaking energy efficient home improvements.
More than 1,200 people were quizzed about energy saving measures; specifically if they would be prepared to implement changes – known as Energy Saving Bundles – which would require them to pay a small weekly fee. Customers would pay for the work through the savings they would be making on their energy bills, in a similar way to the Green Deal. The average charge ranged from £1.06 to a maximum of £1.59 per week.
The energy saving measures ranged from solar PV systems to new energy efficient condensing boilers. Three communities in Sunderland and approximately 1,200 people have benefited from the scheme, which has achieved very favourable results. Just under 80% of customers actually agreed to have work carried out as part of the scheme. Thanks in part to an increase in community awareness, an additional 8% of customers opted to take part in the scheme.
As per the Green Deal model, residents taking part were able to have home improvement work in exchange for a small contribution added to their rent or via their energy meter. The project was designed to test consumer appetite alongside the Green Deal model, and investigate the benefits of reducing carbon emissions and the healthy benefits associated with a warm and comfortable home.
“It’s great to see the enthusiasm for these measures increasing amongst our customers, it shows the appetite that there could be for the Green Deal when it arrives,” Sally Hancox, director of Gentoo Green told Sustainable Homes.
The Gentoo Group was established in 2007. Covering the North east of England, the group specialises in social housing and refurbishment.
