HOME energy assessments worth £175 are available free to householders in West Somerset, Taunton Deane and Sedgemoor thanks to an initiative called Our Green Deal in Somerset run on behalf of seven local authorities in the county by the Centre for Sustainable Energy and funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

 

It’s part of getting Somerset involved in the Green Deal, a national scheme launched recently by the Government which enables householders to improve the energy efficiency of their home at no upfront cost.

 

Green Deal measures include home-improvements such as

new heating systems

wall or loft insulation

secondary glazing

draught-proofing.

 

Repayments are made through the householder’s energy bills, and because the home improvements will cut energy use, the overall energy bills won’t rise.

 

Step one in accessing Green Deal finance is for an authorised Green Deal Assessor to visit the home. An assessment like this usually costs around £175, but Our Green Deal in Somerset has more than 800 home energy assessments to give away.

 

But people need to be quick - the offer ends on 15 March 2013.

 

The assessment will show which energy efficiency improvements would work best for that particular home, and which improvements could be funded through the Green Deal. The assessment is independent and without obligation. The householder doesn’t have to undertake any of the recommended improvements.

 

Householders in Sedgemoor who want to know more should contact the CSE’s Home Energy Team on Freephone 0800 082 2234 or by email at home.energy@cse.org.uk.

 

CSE’s James Ryle said: “The Green Deal has a lot to offer, particularly in Somerset which has a lot of ‘hard-to-treat’ homes where people are being hit by high fuel bills. This initiative will get the Green Deal rolling in Somerset.”

 

Private tenants can still take advantage of this offer but need to get their landlord’s permission first.

 

Our Green Deal in Somerset won't just be providing free assessments, two other innovations are in the pipeline. The first is a programme of involving local community groups, who will be explaining the benefits of the Green Deal to householders in their locality, and explaining how the scheme works. Details will be available shortly.

 

The second is a website – www.ourgreendeal.net - that will map the areas that have been improved and present the energy efficiency refurbishment of houses as 'everyday' and 'doable', and allow users to find accredited and reliable local tradespeople and further advice and information.