The new Coalition Government has inherited a country with some of the oldest, most inefficient housing Stock within Europe. Over three quarters of Britain’s homes were built pre 1975 with another 20% being constructed before the first World War. A worrying example of the current situation Britain finds itself in is that we now use more energy to heat our homes than Sweden does!

With this type of housing stock, many of the energy efficient home improvements needed are cost negative that means they pay for themselves over time through savings from lower energy bills due to those improvements.  The pay back period may also be longer than the preferred time the homeowners want to stay within that home. Other barriers that are commonly found is a lack of information, knowledge and understanding or why we should be more energy efficient within our homes.

With the various issues listed above the Government are going to introduce the Green Deal as the scheme to overcome these barriers.

Green Deal would roll out to every householder within Britain to save money by improving their homes through various insulating improvements. Energy companies and high street retail would provide information and guidance to interested households, taking them through the Green Deal process and pay for improvements upfront. Households then recoup the initial investment of money through the various savings they make from reduced energy bills.  

The Green Deal will also assist and help those in rented accommodation. As the tenant normally pays for their own energy usage within the home they would also benefit from improved energy efficient measures. The Government are continuing to look at how to make the Green Deal a successful scheme for people in private and social housing.

Those providing the Green Deal have the option of choosing to form partnerships with local authorities, registered social landlords and social enterprises to offer locally-based solutions.  The DECC (Department of Energy and Climate Change) is looking for early involvement by Green Deal providers ahead of legislation being introduced in the forthcoming Energy Security and Green Economy Bill. Due to the legislation and other changes the Green Deal will not be rolled out straight away.

Source: DECC

For a complete, comprehensive memorandum on the Green Deal please click here.

Anglian Home Improvements, formerly known as Anglian Windows. Raising the standard in Home Improvements since 1966.

The new coalition Government is considering raising stamp duty on home-buyers if their properties are not energy efficient.

This is one of many plans from the Government to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 34 percent of their 1990 levels within the next 10 years.

The latest stamp duty idea could see home-buyers pay £1000′s in additional finance if their home is deemed to be energy inefficient, has badly insulated windows, poor loft installation and inefficient boilers.

 The policy change would be introduced within the Governments Green Deal - a vastly funded scheme of £90 billion with the aim to cut fuel bills of homes within approximately 14 million homes.

The Green Deal will offer various benefits to the householder. This includes a free green upgrade or improvement by energy companies, local councils or DIY chains from 2012. The investment towards the home improvements will be claimed back from the savings made on energy consumption.

This proposal came to light last month from the Green Investment Bank Commission – this was originally setup by labour last year.

Report author Bob Wigely, chairman of the Yell Group quoted “Ultimately either implementing penalty rates of stamp duty for a house purchased where the buyer does not implement available energy efficiency measures or setting minimum standards on properties, will be required.”

Chris Huhme, UK Energy Secretary spoke about government plans for the Green Deal at the Economist UK Energy Summit on the 24th June:

“Alongside investment in new energy infrastructure, we need to reduce overall energy demand. So let me now turn to the Green Deal – our way of expanding the energy mix to a fourth resource.

Energy saving is the cheapest way of closing the gap between demand and supply, yet it is the Cinderella of the energy ball. On the near horizon, energy saving will mean smart meters and smart grids that can give consumers control over their appliances – for example ensuring that fridges power down during temporary price surges.

This will take time to develop. But there is also much we can do now. To date we have heard too much talk and too little action.

Britain has on average some of the oldest housing stock in Europe, much of it built in the era of cheap coal – but that’s no excuse. Why have we kept building inefficient homes?  We have been locking in waste, which is why my colleague Grant Shapps, the Housing Minister, is moving quickly to toughen building standards.

Most of the homes we will use in 2050 have of course already been built. That is why we have big plans for the Green Deal. It will be my department’s flagship bill for this first session. Its aim is a radical overhaul of our existing homes to save energy, carbon and costs.

At the moment, we may as well be burning £50 notes outside our front doors. We use more energy per home than does Sweden.  And this waste cannot be ignored, because households account for a quarter of all carbon emissions.

This is another area which can help drive economic recovery. The market is big. There are currently up to 14 million homes in the UK which could benefit from insulation under the Green Deal. We are working on the package for each home, which could unlock tens of billions of spending in the coming years.”

For the full quote please click here: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/Energy_Summit/Energy_Summit.aspx

Since Anglian launched Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic earlier this week we’ve seen and reported yesterday an unprecedented level of interest from homeowners who are keen to invest in improving their homes with the very latest in energy saving, revenue generating and environment considerate technology. 

Anglian Home Improvements, formerly known as Anglian Windows. Raising the standard in Solar Energy Solutions.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has launched a consultation on microgeneration in a bid to develop the sector into a mass market industry.

The consultation on Microgeneration Strategy will look at how to improve technologies and how to develop skills in this emerging sector to meet demand.

To date, around 100,000 businesses, organisations and homes have installed microgreneration technologies, such as solar panels or small wind turbines, and it is estimated small-scale renewable installations could meet two per cent of the UK’s electricity demand by 2020.

The Government says it wants to see what more it can do to help develop the industry, create more job opportunities, as well as get advice to businesses and householders and make sure customers can trust the green technology they buy.
In April, the feed-in tariff scheme was launched to encourage additional low carbon electricity generation by organisations, businesses, communities and individuals that are not traditionally engaged in the electricity market. Meanwhile, the Coalition Government has said that it will make public its strategy on a Renewable Heat Incentive, that was set to launch in April 2011, “as soon as possible”.

Launching this weeks consultation, Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: “I want to work with industry to overcome the challenges it is facing. Together we will create a marketplace for jobs and prosperity alongside products and advice which people trust.”

Microgeneration technologies

DECC said the focus of the Microgeneration Strategy will be electricity generation technologies less than 50 kilowatt (kW) in size, and heat generating technologies less than 300 kW in size. As well as more established technologies such as air, ground and water source heat pumps, solar photovoltaics and solar thermal, the consultation will also look at fuel cells and passive flue gas recovery devices.

Today’s announcement follows the Government’s decision to overturn a ban on councils selling green electricity into the national grid, unveiled last week.

The Government will publish the final Microgeneration Strategy in early 2011. Those wishing to contribute to the consultation should email microgenconsult@decc.gsi.gov.uk. 

PR Source: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn10_079/pn10_079.aspx

Anglian Home Improvements, formerly known as Anglian Windows. Helping provide energy efficient solutions for Britains homes.

Over the last year Anglian Home Improvements has championed the need for assistance from Local and National Government by supporting the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) Petition for a National Window Scrappage Scheme. This would have given homeowners some additional financial assistance in improving their homes efficiency through replacing current old windows with new, more efficient replacements.

One of Anglian’s ongoing promotions is our very own scrappage scheme, financed by Anglian where we give homeowners up to £2500 for their old windows as payment towards new, more efficient double glazing.

Since the beginning of this promotion the country has voted for change through the general election and we, the country are now starting a new era of Government control and setup, we are governed by a Coalition Government for the very first time.

With new leaders come new ideas, policies and direction. In June the Chancellor delivered the budget statement to the House of Commons. This set out a detailed plan on how the new Coalition will counter the current huge national debt we, as a country, find ourselves burdened with.

But with a new budget come new environmental policies and funding changes. With Anglian recently announcing the launch of Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic products for the home, we are helping homeowners cut their own C02 emissions with these products. But what are the new Government planning to do, noted below and sourced from the Department of Energy and Climate Change outlines 6 key announcements:

1. The Budget sets out a comprehensive and credible plan to deal with the nation’s debts and significantly accelerate the reduction in the budget deficit over the course of this Parliament.  Deficit reduction and ensuring economic recovery are the most urgent issues facing the UK and the Government’s top priorities. 

2. The Prime Minister has pledged to make this the greenest government ever.  The Government believes that climate change is one of the most serious threats that the world faces.  This includes reducing the Government’s own emissions by ten per cent between mid-May 2010 and mid-May 2011.

3. The Government is committed to playing its part in moving to a low-carbon economy.  This transition will change the shape of industry, growth and jobs in the future.  As part of this, the UK needs £200 billion of investment by 2020 to provide secure low-carbon energy.  This will require reform of the energy market and action to attract additional private sector funding.

4. The Budget sets out key steps towards this goal:

• assessing how the energy tax framework can provide the right incentives for investment, alongside wider market reforms.  In the autumn, the Government will publish proposals to reform the climate change levy in order to provide more certainty and support to the carbon price. Subject to consultation, the Government intends to bring forward relevant legislation in Finance Bill 2011.
• putting forward detailed proposals on the creation of a Green Investment Bank, following the Spending Review, to help the UK meet the low-carbon investment challenge.  The Government is considering a range of options for the scope and structure of the Green Investment Bank; and
• establishing a Green Deal for households through legislation in the Energy Security and Green Economy Bill, to help individuals invest in home energy efficiency improvements that can pay for themselves from the savings in energy bills.  The Government will also continue to progress work on creating green financial products to provide individuals with opportunities to invest in the infrastructure necessary to support the green economy.

5. The Government will make the tax system fairer. The Budget covers:

• fair fuel stabiliser.  The Chancellor will ask the Office for Budget Responsibility to undertake an assessment over the summer of the effect of oil price fluctuations on the public finances.  Informed by this assessment, the Government will examine options for the design of a fair fuel stabiliser;
• remote rural areas.  The Government is considering the case for introducing a fuel duty discount in remote rural areas, including possible pilot schemes in Scotland; and
• aviation taxation.  The Government will explore changes to the aviation tax system, including switching from a per-passenger to a per-plane duty, which could encourage fuller planes.  Major changes will be subject to public consultation.

6. The Budget confirms some previous announcements, that the Government will:

• include nitrous oxide gases in the EU Emissions Trading System from 2011;
• reduce the discount from the climate change levy for industries participating in a climate change agreement from 80 to 65 per cent in April 2011, and increase the climate change levy in line with inflation;
• increase the standard rate of landfill tax by £8 per tonne on 1 April 2011 until at least 2014, and introduce a floor so that that the rate will not fall below £80 per tonne until at least 2020;
• increase aggregates levy to £2.10 per tonne in 2011;
• introduce an enhanced capital allowance for zero-carbon goods vehicles from April 2010;
• introduce exceptional rates of vehicle excise duty for certain heavy goods vehicles from April 2011; and
• reform company car tax so that it continues to provide an incentive to purchase the lowest emitting vehicles on the market

 Source: DECC

The plans seem fairly comprehensive but only time will tell on how effective these announcements become and most importantly what effect they have on the environment.

Anglian Home Improvements, formerly known as Anglian Windows. Raising the standard of home improvements since 1966.