Gregg Barker beg letter

[ktech]

Anybody else had the begging letter from G Barker sent on behalf of Gemserv re GreenDeal?

 

[whinmoor]

Yes - seems pretty desperate to me.

 

[ktech]

Quite interesting that he is trying to target SME's for the Green Deal Finance According to the DTI an SME is a company with not more than £2.8m turnover, balance sheet total of not more than £1.4m and not more than 50 employees but I guess up towards this bracket is classed as an SME. I would have thought that the majority of installers he has had the letter sent to are more of the 'micro firm' bracket 0-9 employees - totally out of touch I think. Has he forgot that he instigated a raft of changes to shrink the renewables market and reduced all three of these parameters, What a cheek to write a letter asking them for support!

 

[whinmoor]

Well, we've probably only got another couple of years of this muppet and then he'll get booted out along with his other toffee-nosed buddies. Probably to take a seat on the Board of Gazprom or some other dubious outfit.

 

[Gavin A]

load of rubbish isn't it.

Only thing that will make me touch green deal is if we get the contract for several hundred solar water heating systems under ECO that a fairly major company asked me to price on last week (typical last minute stuff,ring up at 9am and ask for pricing by 2pm that day for a deadline...)

tbh we're absolutely rushed off our feet with solar PV inquiries, and have never offered finance to domestic customers, and it doesn't even work really for most PV systems, so why would we want to waste loads of time getting involved in green deal?

 

[The Solar King]

I am afraid this is a little more sinister than you may think. I would treat it more like a letter from the Mafia making you an offer you can't refuse. You may remember I posted about EPCs possibly being replaced by GD greeen ticks. DECC are determined to align as much as possible with GD in an attempt to cover up its massive failure and mis-spending of ECO funds. If the Public Accounts Committee ever examine ECO expenditure and see how much it has cost to install each boiler, the excrement will really hit the fan.

For your own safety and protection I would suggest you become PAS2030 as part of your next MCS assessment. There is no incremental cost with my accreditation body for this, and it is not too many extra pages you will never look at again in your procedures manual.

As a footnote I heard yesterday that Germany has reduced the cost of their GD loans from 1.0% to 0.75%. This is the same level that the Treasury has been providing money to their fat friends in the banks to prop up and continue supporting their failing business model.

 

[ktech]

I hear what your saying - It wouldn't surprise me if you had to get a GD assessment when selling a property in the not too distant future.

 

[Worcester]

@TheSolarKing, sorry I'm confused (not difficult ) what is the threat coming that you think we'll need to be PAS2030 for? Is it that to claim RHI MCS wont be enough? I don't expect ANY of my clients to want or need GDF (unless it drops to the German rates.)

 

[The Solar King]

What I expect to see is MCS023 to become mandatory. It was recognised earlier this year that MCS001 met most of the standards of PAS2030. MCS023 adds any missing bits. Once you meet this, Hey Presto, you are a Green Deal Installer for your MCS technologies. The Government/DECC/Barker can then boast about the surge of businesses registering to be Green Deal Installers. Simples.

More interestingly, if you hold competencies in Non-MCS technologies eg Gas Safe, would MC 001+023 be recognised as you meeting PAS2030 for that technology? Could be a quick route to access ECO through GD providers who are entering the market place.

The sums of money involved in ECO are eye watering, £1.3bn a year. The big six energy companies are falling over themselves to get rid of the money to avoid being fined for not doing so. I have talked to more than one organisation that has drawn down funds. When they do the sums of what they are told the money will achieve, the whole thing is mental. On one calculation it was £25k per boiler and on another £7.3k per boiler. Work that one out if you can. This will all end in tears or in some off-shore account, or both.

 

[Eco Deal]

We have been fitting boiler under eco we have never had a boiler at 23k so I think that is untrue to honest. we are now a Green Deal Provider and if we acquire any eco funding we may be able to help any one who is PAS2030 on the forum. don't forget we are also installers so we are looking at the scheme from an installers view.

 

[The Solar King]

The point is those handing out the money do not know what is involved in installation, hence the vast difference in sums. I doubt they really care as long as they have divested the money. The issue will become one of an audit trail, as undoubtedly ECO is going to end up over charged for installations. This will all be blamed on 'administrative costs'. You may not have had a boiler at £25k but have you had one at £7.3k?

 

[sedgy34]

This 25 k boiler sounds like the property cost scoring to me which would equate to around £3750 by my reckoning!

 

[The Solar King]

Thick end of three grand to install a boiler? We'll have some of that!

 

[sedgy34]

Well fit worcestor boiler and upgrade gas main to 28mm with controls
that eats into that figure

 

[The Solar King]

Only need 28mm with a combi. One of the great benefits of system boilers is you rarely need above 24kW. Interesting that in new build, they have very often seen the light and no longer fit these due to the numerous disadvantages they have. With replacement of older boilers, thankfully it is rarely a combi. If you are involved in ST combis can be a barrier to installation or a pain in the neck to try and work with.

Combis have their place, but only in smaller properties where all hot water services are closely grouped. They are something that was sold to plumbers as an easy solution. Many have been insufficiently motivated or intellectually stimulated to look beyond what has become the line of least resistance. Lots of customers have been done a disservice by having one forced on them. Fortunately times are beginning to change.