Since the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund closed we’ve been busy behind the scenes. This blog provides an update of our activity.
Payments to GDHIF applicants
GDHIF has been extremely popular with over 21, 000 applications to the scheme when it closed in July. Some payments are taking a little longer than we would like due to the sheer volume of payments being processed, extra checks being carried out and because in some cases customers have not submitted the necessary paperwork.
Voucher payment claims should now take up to 30 working days provided we have all the requested information and no unresolved issues arise. As we work to validate claims and make payments as quickly as possible, we expect this time period will reduce. At the end of July, £2.3 million had already been paid to customers.
Installers can help a smooth payment process by ensuring the paperwork they provide customers with is accurate and complete, particularly the claim of conformity which has caused some delays in processing payments. You may wish to review the guidance note on the correct format of Claims of Conformity sent to Green Deal participants, in order to avoid payments being delayed and/or rejected.
Our administrator will be sending email updates to applicants when their payments have been processed and it would be helpful if applicants could please minimise calls to the helpline as this diverts resources from processing.
Applications
We’re aware of public speculation about the validity of some applications, so in addition to standard checks to ensure applications meet the scheme terms and conditions, we have been carrying out extra checks where appropriate.
Our analysis so far shows the majority do meet the eligibility criteria and have been submitted by households who want to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
Voucher redemption
GDHIF customers have six months to redeem their vouchers, so to help us understand what people intend to do we commissioned a telephone survey of 1000 applicants. Answers from 300 respondents provide some reassurance that only 1% of respondents said they were no longer planning to carry out the work and secondly that 30% had already completed or booked a start date for the work.
The best way to keep up to date with voucher redemption rates is through our monthly Green Deal and ECO statistics. We featured a snapshot from the latest release in our blog and the next report will be released Tuesday 23rd September 2014.
Green Deal Supply Chain
There is a pipeline of work for installers and providers to carry out over the coming months and the Green Deal Supply chain has been growing to meet demand from households wanting to make their homes more energy efficient.
The latest numbers of Green Deal Participants as of the end of July 2014 are:
• 4,219 individuals registered to carry out assessments
• 156 authorised Green Deal providers (up from 125 at the end of January 2014)
• 2,735 organisations to make installations under Green Deal
Further to this the Green Deal Finance Company announced last week that there are five new Green Deal Providers about to be cleared to offer Green Deal plans and 17 more are actively progressing applications.
For the most up to date list of Green Deal Participants visit the Green Deal ORB website.
Future scheme
We’re going to work with key industry and consumer groups to help inform the development of a future scheme. It’s important to note that further funding is available for energy efficiency next year and the year after.
People interested in improving the energy efficiency of their homes can register their interest in a future scheme by emailing gdhif@decc.gsi.gov.uk.
5 comments
Comment by Rob smith posted on
This is nothing we don't already know what we need to know is the landlord situation on any property's over 5 been paid, also what are the plans to combat the fuel poverty the insulation industry is taking another massive hit.
Time for a change these are a total heartless out of touch government they have fallen so short of the mark it's un real how long will we be behind now catching up in a race we a stared last in the field. The Labour Party had more commitment with there renewables only to be slashed as soon as they got in.
Comment by paul johnson posted on
Dear Sir, Madam
I am a Landlord who has a portfolio of properties . I was encouraged to apply for a cash back scheme so that I could get help with funds for External Wall Insulation for my properties.
I had instructed works to be done to 17 of my properties. I applied to redeem my first cashback voucher on the 11th July nearly 2 months ago and I still have not received any monies, al 3 of these properties have passed the 10 day period[are now well over a month] in which the vouchers are meant to be either redeemed or we are informed of the situation and what if anything extra is required. External Wall Insulation works are of a very expensive nature that I never could have afforded to have done without assistance from the GDHIF Voucher.
I am now in the situation where the installer is demanding payment from me, I don't know what to tell him, we have not been informed anything from DECC regarding how long this will take or whether we will receive our monies or not. DECC seems to now be reneging on the promise of a 10 day turn around regarding the voucher.
Should this situation continue I can see no other way but for me to fall into serious debt and possible repossession of my portfolio and my own property which will spell hardship both for myself and my tenants.
Paul Johnson
8 Lime Tree Walk
Amersham
HP79HY
0149451821
GDHIF Landlord Reference Number: LCYM1
Cc cheryl.gillan.mp@parliament.uk
Comment by Brian Cropper posted on
I am both a landlord and installer who is affected by this farce. I recently listened to Ed Davey on the radio telling us how popular and how successful this scheme is.
Is a measure of success a continuation of fuel poverty & people losing their homes & businesses?
the government suggest these schemes will benefit SME's? It would be interesting to find out how.
the only way small businesses would benefit is if ED & Amber gained the balls and admitted they are out of their depth.
Comment by David Jenkins posted on
It's a shame the industry shot it's self in the foot through greed, DECC are right to check all redemptions. The GDHIF was designed to help the public not to make greedy company's rich overnight. Our analysis so far shows that the majority of Company's installing E.W.I in our area are doubling the price so they can sell E.W.I for free, this has killed the market for us, how can we win any custom when we were charging 50% during works with 25% being reimbursed on voucher redemption as per terms and conditions. Again these company's have now destroyed customer conference, with potential customers having vouchers but unwilling to pay 25% towards the works because they still think they can have works done for free. Also we have received accusations from our customers that we have "ripped them off" because their neighbours are still having installs for free. Whilst we have charged them 25% ,This miss-selling must be addressed A.S.A.P
Comment by Nick Gelsthorpe posted on
The latest GDHIF scheme has to be certain in the know people. This scheme sold out in 30 hours. So 6000 applicants had the forsight to get estimates in advance of the scheme launch. Its an absolute twisted process. Especially when out of the first scheme which was 3 times greater that amount of money has not been reclaimed yet nor is ever likely to be