There has never been a better time to reduce your energy over heads and ‘Do your bit’ for the environment. You may have made changes to your home but have you given thought to “How green is your holiday home?”
As energy assessors and building surveyors our friends at footPrint Energy Assessments Ltd have experienced the various incentives to aid us all to reduce the amount of energy we use for heating and power. In this brief guest blog, footPrint Energy Assessments introduce some of the incentives and schemes currently available.
There are three distinct phases to the governments push towards a low carbon economy:
- Incentives – to reduce energy demand – Now!
- Neutral – Loans to reduce energy demand that are paid off by the reduction in energy bills
- Penalties – Legislation to enforce energy efficiency
Currently there are numerous incentives ultimately in place to reduce the amount of carbon the UK’s buildings emit, but also help us reduce our overheads – whether you run a business from a commercial premises, own a domestic property or indeed run a furnished holiday letting or buy to let, you may be able to take advantage of the following schemes:
- Feed in Tariff (FiT) – This scheme offers payments for each kWh of electricity produced by a renewable source (Solar PV, Wind turbine, Water turbine, CHP), in addition a further payment is made for each kWh of electricity exported back to the national grid. The occupier of the building also has the added bonus of free electricity whilst the technology is producing.
- Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) – Very similar to the above FiT, payments are made for each kWh of heat produced from a renewable source, this coupled with the reduced heating bill makes a great another great scheme.
- The Green Deal – A government monitored loan scheme, where the savings made through energy reduction technologies go towards paying off the loan.
- Energy Company Obligation (ECO) – The scheme is aimed at social housing or people on benefits and is a grant to help pay for more costly energy saving methods that do not fall under the rules of The Green Deal
- Landlords Energy Saving Allowance (LESA) – As the name implies this scheme is for landlords, the landlord can claim the full cost of installing qualifying energy saving technologies against their tax, up to £1,500 per year for each property.
- Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme (ECA) – The ECA is for businesses and is similar to the LESA, businesses can claim the full price of the energy saving technology installed against their taxable profits
footPrint Energy Assessments Ltd are a small independent firm that provide energy reduction plans, energy surveys (EPC’s) and environmental plans. For further information about us or any of the above please contact us through our website – www.fdea.co.uk
Holiday home insurance and renewable energy technology
If you have renewable energy technology equipment, such as:
- solar panels
- ground or air source heat pumps; or
- wind turbines
fitted at your holiday home or are considering doing so do check with your holiday home insurance provider to ensure that they are covered for all perils. Boshers holiday home insurance policy wording is wide enough to provide cover for full perils including accidental damage. You will need to ensure that your sums insured are adequate to include replacement costs of the equipment. Should you have any holiday home insurance questions relating to renewable energy pleas call one of our team on 01237 429444.
You may find the following holiday home insurance articles of interest:
- Free impartial advice on energy saving for home owners
- Boshers holiday home insurance frequently asked questions
- Holiday home insurance – A guide to sums insured
- 12 things to consider when buying holiday home insurance
For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you: