£2.9m Green Deal Ad Campaign awarded to Carat

According to Campaign, Carat, the Aegis-owned advertising agency, has been appointed by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to produce a new advertising campaign for the Government’s new flagship energy efficiency scheme, the Green Deal. 

Carat will reportedly handle communications planning for a campaign to raise awareness of the new scheme after successfully pitching for the business.

The Green Deal aims to help consumers and businesses to implement energy saving home improvements in order to make their homes more energy efficient.

The agency will work on a consumer engagement plan designed to build trust and confidence in the policy and is set to launch in mid-January.

Jon Pile, the Client Director at Carat said: "We will use our understanding of the sector to develop a strategy that frames the Green Deal around home improvement, an area that we know our key consumer segments are interested in."

Green Assess are looking forward to the launch of this campaign, as when combined with the cash back incentive announced on Monday, it should really increase the awareness of this innovative new finance mechanism amongst the general public.

Green Deal to provide incentives for businesses

The Government should ensure the Green Deal provides incentives for businesses too or the scheme could falter. 

That is the view of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) who represents more than 100,000 businesses in Great Britain, in response to the launch of the £125m cash back offer (which only applies to domestic properties) on Monday. 

The BCC’s comment follows the Government’s announcement of a cash back initiative as part of the Green Deal, where domestic property owners and tenants can get more than £1,000 worth of money back, dependent upon what energy efficient measures they get installed.

“The Green Deal has a long way to go to fulfil its potential, not least for businesses, the majority of whom are unaware that they are eligible for it. The Government should look to ensure that there are adequate incentives for businesses to take part, otherwise the Green Deal could be a false dawn.” commented Dr Adam Marshall, the Director of Policy and External Affairs.

 Audrey Gallacher, from the Consumer Group said: “Improving your heating and stopping your home leaking heat can make a big difference to both your energy bills and your carbon footprint. It’s very welcome to see the Government providing cash incentives to those who take up the Green Deal scheme early. It’s also welcome that people don’t have to take out Green Deal finance to qualify.

“But the Government needs to provide incentives to all customers, not just early-adopters, to ensure wide-spread take-up in the long-term. This could mean moves such as council tax breaks or similar benefits for taking up energy efficiency measures.”

 The cash back initiative is worth £125 million, but the rates announced on Monday are currently available for the first £40 million only. There have been other suggestions from various parties on how the remaining funds could be spent, including one from an MP who suggests using it to cover the upfront fees for Green Deal assessments.

£125m Green Deal cashback scheme launches

The Government announced on Monday the launch of the £125m Green Deal cash back scheme.

"Energy saving has never been so attractive" - that’s the message from Edward Davey today as he announced the Green Deal Cashback Scheme is open, with hundreds of pounds of cash available to householders in England and Wales who make energy saving home improvements.

 

Householders who use the Green Deal to make improvements such as loft insulation, solid wall insulation and new heating systems will qualify. Packages could be worth over £1,000.

The more work households decide to have done, the more cash they could receive.

To qualify for the Cashback Scheme, households need to book a Green Deal property assessment so they are then ready to have improvements installed under the Green Deal from 28 January and get their cashback.

 

Learn more about the Green Deal

Give Green Deal Assessors £85 million says MP

Green Deal assessors should be able to claim the cost of their assessment from allocated Green Deal funds, suggests Alan Whitehead (MP) in his blog last week.

 

The £125 million cash back scheme to encourage the up-take of energy efficiency improvements by property owners and tenants has been offered by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to help launch the Green Deal.

 

Alan Whithead  has suggested using some of this money to pay for any upfront charges customers may face, specifically relating to Green Deal assessments.

 

The cash-back funding is part of the DECC Green Deal scheme designed to assist householders and businesses to become more energy efficient.

 

The cash back has been offered as an incentive alongside the ‘pay as you save’ Green Deal Finance initiative.

 

The first £40 million of this £125m pot has been allocated by the Government to guarantee up to £270 for upgrading to a gas condensing boiler, £50 cash back for draught proofing and £650 for solid wall insulation.

 

There are a number of further measures (15) covered by the cash back scheme with no cap on what households mayt be eligible for, confirms the Department for Energy and Climate Change.

 

"Go ahead with the first £40 million of scorching deals and get things up and running.” commented Mr Whitehead.

 

“But add another small voucher scheme to the one you’ve got for householders – get the assessors to claim back the money for assessments from the rest of the pot: a sort of ‘cashfront’ scheme."

 

"£85 million of the £125 earmarked is still floating around, courtesy of the Chancellor. Now how many assessments at British Gas prices would that cover? Not difficult maths – 850,000 or enough for about seven years’ worth of assessments." calculated the MP.

 

To qualify for Green Deal funding and the cash back scheme, a Green Deal Advisor will make an assessment before a Green Deal Provider can organise for an installer to conduct the works.

 

Green Deal Assessments are may be provided free of charge from some companies (usually subject to taking out a Green Deal Plan), but it appears that some energy firms are planning to charge between £99 and £150. However, in most instances these fees are refundable when work is carried out.

 

Mr Whitehead argues that allowing Advisors to claim these charges from the cash back fund would mean customers can shop around for Assessment quotes.

Green Deal Reports for solid wall insulation

Green Deal Reports — January 11th 2013

Many houses that were built before the 1920’s were unsuitable to take advantage of cavity wall insulation grants. With the launch of the Green Deal both interior and external insulation will be covered on Green Deal reports....Read more