Introduction:?Welcome to this NEA information bulletin for private-rented sector landlords interested in improving the energy efficiency of their properties.? NEA, the national energy efficiency charity is currently working with support from the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) to ensure landlords are better informed about existing and forthcoming government policy on housing standards, energy efficiency and the availability of financial and other assistance to help to improve properties. This bulletin compliments a series of information briefings being delivered to landlord forums across
England in 2012/2013.?Policy Update:? Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO)?Green Deal was explained in more detail in the guidance for private sector landlords produced by NEA in May 2012 (see: http://www.nea.org.uk/policy-and-research/publications/publications-2012/guidance-for-private-sector-landlords) however, as a reminder key elements are:???????? Green Deal is a new government initiative expected to improve homes across England including at least 682,000 privately-rented homes???????? A new finance mechanism within Green Deal will remove the upfront costs for installing specified energy efficiency measures in housing (both tenants and landlords can apply)???????? Repayments (with interest) for measures will be paid back via an agreed charge on the householder?s electricity bill over an agreed period of time (specific re-payment rules apply to void properties)???????? Measures must be capable of meeting a ?Golden Rule? i.e. the expected financial savings must be equal to or greater than the costs attached to the energy bill???????? From April 2016 consent must be given by landlords for? ?reasonable? requests for energy efficiency improvements???????? From April 2018 it will be unlawful to rent out a house or business premise which has less than an ?E? energy efficiency rating or the landlord has carried out the maximum package of measures under the Green Deal and ECO (even if this does not get them above an ?F? rating)???????? Green Deal is operational for household assessments from October 2012 although finance arrangements won?t be available from ?providers? until 28 January 2013.?Key elements of ECO are:???????? Provision of extra financial support for the most vulnerable householders???????? Provision of extra financial support for hard-to-treat homes where measures such as solid wall insulation don?t meet the ?Golden Rule? in Green Deal???????? Details of ECO are still under development.? The programme is expected to formally start in January 2013.?Quick guides on the Green Deal are now available on the Department of Energy and Climate change website - for householders, owners, tenants and landlords. The landlord?s guide can be found here: ?http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/tackling/green_deal/gd_quickguides/gd_quickguides.aspx ?The guide is a brief summary of what landlords need to know and where to go for further information.?Information on ECO is being made available by individual energy suppliers.? Look for information on-line or contact individual suppliers direct.Green Deal providers - In April, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) published initial advice for would-be Green Deal providers in the form of a step-by step guide on how to achieve provider status. Greg Barker MP, Minister of State for DECC, met with 22 organisations to sign a memorandum of understanding between the Department and the first proposed Green Deal providers. Organisations involved include big businesses, small and medium enterprises and community groups all of whom are expected to be offering energy efficiency packages. The Green Deal Provider Guidance describes the route to Green Deal Provider authorisation and gives organisations an understanding of the on-going obligations that Green Deal Providers will need to comply with. The Department of Energy and Climate Change will publish additional further guidance all of which can be accessed from the DECC website.Warm Home Discount ? help for tenantsThe Warm Home Discount Scheme (WHD) is a 4-year scheme which came into operation on 1 April 2011. It provides direct and indirect financial support to low income and vulnerable energy consumers to help with energy costs and is funded via a levy on domestic energy bills. The WHD effectively replaces social tariffs and voluntary arrangements previously offered by energy suppliers. Now in its second year, there remains a lack of awareness by some households of the help available through the scheme (most notably amongst the over 60?s) ? with many assuming they have received the payment under the WHD when they are actually receiving a completely separate Winter Fuel Payment. The WHD scheme separates eligible households into two groups ? a ?Core? group and a ?Broader? group. The 2012-13 annual discount payment for the ?Core? group? is ?130 and will be paid into electricity accounts by March 2013. Each energy supplier has different criteria for ?Broader? groups ? check with suppliers for details or look online at https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/overview Prepayment meters and switching- update?Ofgem (i.e. the Gas and Electricity Markets? regulator) and energy suppliers have reached agreement on a number of initiatives intended to improve the options available to prepayment meter users in the competitive energy market. Under current regulations, prepayment meter users who are in debt to their existing supplier are precluded from switching where the debt is more than ?200. Under the new voluntary agreement the debt threshold will rise to ?500 and will be supplemented by raised customer awareness of the right to switch and a simplified switching process.? The ability to switch supplier may help householders to manage their energy spend better.? Renewable Heat Incentive ? next phaseThe Department of Energy and Climate Change has published a consultation paper on proposals for the next phase of the Renewable Heat Incentive involving implementation in the domestic sector. DECC argue the nation has to prepare for mass roll-out of renewable heat in the domestic sector. This will entail raising public awareness of the technologies, establishing the market on a stable and sustainable basis and driving the innovation that will reduce costs and improve performance. ??Key proposals include: ???????? Indicative tariff ranges for air-source heat pumps, biomass boilers, ground-source heat pumps and solar thermal technologies that are MCS certified and meet relevant required standards???????? Payments for householders over seven years for each kWh of heat produced for the expected lifetime of the renewable technology and based on deemed heat usage? ???????? Tariff levels set to provide a better return for householders living off the gas grid???????? Budget management system similar to one introduced for the Feed-in Tariffs scheme ???????? Minimum energy efficiency requirements based on Green Deal assessmentsThe consultation period runs until December 7, 2012.? Check the DECC RHI website - http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/renewable_ener/incentive/incentive.aspx for details.?Legacy installations & ?grandfathering? of Renewable Heat Incentive paymentsDECC will be adhering to previous commitments that installations installed since 15 July 2009 will be eligible for support once the domestic RHI is introduced, provided that they meet the eligibility criteria of the scheme. Installations falling into this category will include: ???????? Households that have installed renewable heating systems since 15 July 2009 but have not received any Government support for the installation ???????? Those who have received Renewable Heat Premium Payments (RHPPs), either individually, as part of the RHPP social landlord competition or the RHPP Community Scheme; and ???????? Those who have received a Home Renewables Loan from the Scottish Government Legacy applicants will need to meet all the eligibility criteria of the scheme, which will involve getting a Green Deal Assessment and potentially having additional energy efficiency improvement measures implemented.? Amongst other requirements, they will be obliged to declare all state funding already received for their installation. The key point to note is that proposals state that any Government funding already received will be deducted from the amount of RHI payable. It is proposed that the duration of the tariff payments should be adjusted to reflect this rather than the tariff payments themselves. It is not proposed that grandfathering of RHI payments should apply to new build installations. The new Energy Efficiency Deployment Office? ?Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, recently unveiled details of a new Energy Efficiency Deployment Office (EEDO) which will be the Government?s centre of expertise on energy efficiency, support the coherent delivery of existing energy efficiency policies and develop the Government?s energy efficiency strategy (to be published by the end of 2012).? Schemes and services for landlords and tenants ?Warm Front ? important revision to eligibility criteria - Warm Front provides heating and insulation measures to households on certain income-related benefits (which include a disability element) living in properties that are poorly insulated and/or do not have a working central heating system.? Qualifying households can access improvements worth up to ?3,500 (?6,000 where oil and LPG central heating or alternative technologies are recommended).? To qualify, your tenant must be residing in a property with a SAP rating of 63 or less and receive one of the following: ???????? Pension Credit - the Guaranteed Credit or Savings Credit element ??????? The support or work-related element of Income-related Employment and Support Allowance??????? Child Tax Credit - and their income must be ?15,860 or less??????? Working Tax Credit - and one of the extra conditions below??????? Income Support or income-based Jobseeker?s Allowance - and one of the extra conditions below Extra conditions: For Working Tax Credit, Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker?s Allowance recipients:
Working Tax Credit - Income must be ?15,860 or less and one of the following must apply:
???????? They must be responsible for a child under 16 who ordinarily lives with them (or under 20 if they?re in education or training
???????? They must receive the disabled worker or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit
???????? They?re 60 or over.
Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker?s Allowance - One of the following must apply:
- They must be responsible for a child under 16 who ordinarily lives with them (or under 20 if they?re in education or training
- They must receive the disability or severe disability element of Child Tax Credit
- They must receive a Disabled Child Premium
- They must receive the enhanced or severe element of Disability Premium
- They must receive the higher or enhanced premium of the Pensioner Premium.
Warm Front will be phased out by March 2013.? Eligible tenants should apply now. Telephone: 0300 123 1234 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Saturday, 9am to 5pm) or email: enquiry@carillionplc.com?Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) - The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target is an obligation on domestic energy suppliers to help households to reduce their carbon emissions.? CERT provides free/discounted insulation measures to energy customers/ non-customers alike. Some energy suppliers are particularly interested in identifying households in the private-rented sector containing so called ?priority? (i.e. vulnerable) and ?super priority? customers (i.e. households of pensionable age) who may be eligible for free measures and this can provide a valuable opportunity for landlords to improve properties.? Contact the Energy Saving Advice Service for advice on available schemes - Telephone: 0300 123 1234 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 8pm. Sat, 10am to 2pm). Or, the following CERT suppliers direct:?
| ????????????? British Gas ????????????? E.ON | ????????????? EDF Energy????????????? RWE npower | ????????????? Scottish Power????????????? Scottish And Southern Energy |
NEA recommends that landlords take advantage of CERT whilst it is still available especially where tenants are eligible for free measures. Applications must be received by 31 December 2012. Landlords Energy Saving Allowance - If you are a landlord and make energy saving improvements to your property, you could reduce the tax you pay. You can do this by claiming the ?Landlord?s Energy Saving Allowance? (LESA). LESA is a tax allowance (not a cash payment) that allows you to claim up to ?1,500 against tax every year. You can claim LESA for the costs of buying and installing certain energy saving products for properties you rent out, but only for what you actually spend.? You can claim LESA up to 1 April 2015, when the availability of this allowance will end. See ?Landlords Energy Saving Allowance? on the HM Revenue and Customs website for further details.?Advice services?
Energy Saving Advice Service - Provides free impartial energy advice and information on all grants and discount schemes available locally and nationally including Green Deal and ECO provision - telephone 0300 123 1234 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm.Saturday, 10am to 2pm). Calls are charged at local rates.
Home Heat Helpline - advises people worried about paying their fuel bills and keeping warm during the winter. It also provides advice to low-income households in urgent need of heating help and advice. It is free to call and is open 9am-6pm Monday to Friday.? Call Freephone: 0800 33 66 99 for details.
Citizens Advice - has now taken over the Government?s consumer advice service. As well as issues with fuel and energy supplier services assistance is also available on:
| ????????????? Faulty goods ????????????? Poor service | ????????????? Problems with builders????????????? Rogue traders | ????????????? Problems with contracts |
Telephone: 08454 04 05 06????????????????????????????? Internet: www.adviceguide.org.uk/consumer
| This briefing has been prepared by NEA, the national energy efficiency charity with support from the Department of Energy and Climate Change: October 2012?NEA, Level Six (Elswick), West One, Forth Banks, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3PA. Tel: 0191 261 5677. Web: www.nea.org.uk.? NEA is an independent charity, Registration No. 290511. Company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No. 1853927.? Registered office as above? |
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The energy efficiency standard of a property is rated on a scale 1-100, where 100 is the most efficient.
This entry was posted on Monday, November 19th, 2012 at 03:35 pm and is filed under Events, News, Uncategorised. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Source: http://blog.nwpoa.co.uk/2012/11/19/improving-energy-efficiency-in-the-private-rented-sector/
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