Homeowners and landlords left frustrated by delays with Government's flagship Green Deal scheme are being urged to get round the problem by using cost-saving initiative to make their properties more energy efficient.

As well as securing up to £900 in Government grants and £100 refund on property assessments, Firstcall will be installing top of the range Worcester boilers with 10 year warranty and the option to fund any additional costs with interest free finance.

The Green Deal launched on January 28 with the aim of helping millions of homes and businesses to improve their energy efficiency - through the installation of various improvements such as insulation and boilers - at no upfront costs to them. But the scheme is not yet fully operational in Scotland, meaning that assessments are not able to take place at properties.

John Dickson, National Sales Director of Firstcall Home Assist, one of the few Green Deal approved assessor/installers in central Scotland, said their package is a great example of clever thinking to respond to the Green Deal issues.


He said: "There will be many property owners across Scotland who are keen to use the Green Deal to finance much needed energy efficiency improvements but they have been thwarted because the scheme is not yet available in Scotland.

"This deal means that homeowners and landlords can take advantage of all the benefits that the Green Deal will provide, without having to wait any longer.

"They can save energy, save money – and there’s no upfront costs. While the Government has made it attractive to fit a new boiler by offering generous cashback allowances, we are helping to make the cost even more manageable by meeting any shortfall between the grants and the appliance charge by offering 0% interest free finance. Through the Firstcall Home Assist package, it means property owners could have a new boiler for as little as £17/month.

"We have also look to make the deal even more appealing by ensuring we fit the best boilers on the market which come with a piece-of-mind 10 year warranty and should help deliver increased savings on energy costs. We think this is the best new boiler deal ever to be offered in Scotland. But this is a limited offer so people will need to move quick before it ends."

Under the scheme, a £500 Green Homes Cashback is now available towards energy efficiency measures that are recommended in either a Green Deal assessment or Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which can be added to the previous £400 boiler scrappage allowance.

In addition to the £500 Green Homes Cashback, owners will also be entitled to claim up to £100 towards the cost of an EPC or Green Deal assessment being completed before and/or after installation. Only one voucher can be applied for per property.

The move into home energy efficiency is the latest development by Edinburgh-based Firstcall Home Assist, which was initially set up to deliver a fresh new approach to the home assistance sector by offering cheaper and better policies to property owners.

(GK)