I've discovered that my electricity company, Powergen, is offering a
number of energy saving incentives, including cavity wall insulation at
a subsidised price of £75.

Had a surveyor round today who made some measurements. He said that the
full price would be £450ish, of which I would need to pay £97,
slightly over the odds because I have three external walls and my 3-bed
end-terrace is not fully covered by the subsidy scheme.

Now this still seems like good value to me, assuming that the job
really is worth £450, and not threppence. Particularly good if, as he
claims, I will save an unlikely £150 per year on my gas bills.

Incidentally, there are a number of other offers which came in the
pack:

- 4 free energy-saving lightbulbs (can't say fairer than that)
- £10 off an energy-saving kettle (not for me - still pay 30 quid for
what is effectively a dosing device to make sure you only boil the
right amount of water - I'm pretty good at that anyway)
- £200 off an A-rated boiler

My gut intstinct is not to touch the last one with a bargepole. I
imagine that they's just bump up the price of the boiler to cover this
'discount', but maybe I'm being too harsh.

I guess what I'm asking you folks really is - are these genuine offers
or am I being taken for a ride? I remember taking up an offer of
allegedly 'free' flights a couple of years ago. The price I paid for
'taxes and charges' miraculously came to the same price *including
taxes and charges* I would have paid had I booked the easyJet flight
myself. In that case, my suspicion was that the 'free' flights were
just a lead generator for what was an effectively a travel agency.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,

Rich.

"Rich" wrote in message
ups.com...
I've discovered that my electricity company, Powergen, is offering a
number of energy saving incentives, including cavity wall insulation at
a subsidised price of £75.

Had a surveyor round today who made some measurements. He said that the
full price would be £450ish, of which I would need to pay £97,
slightly over the odds because I have three external walls and my 3-bed
end-terrace is not fully covered by the subsidy scheme.

Now this still seems like good value to me, assuming that the job
really is worth £450, and not threppence. Particularly good if, as he
claims, I will save an unlikely £150 per year on my gas bills.

Incidentally, there are a number of other offers which came in the
pack:

- 4 free energy-saving lightbulbs (can't say fairer than that)
- £10 off an energy-saving kettle (not for me - still pay 30 quid for
what is effectively a dosing device to make sure you only boil the
right amount of water - I'm pretty good at that anyway)
- £200 off an A-rated boiler

My gut intstinct is not to touch the last one with a bargepole. I
imagine that they's just bump up the price of the boiler to cover this
'discount', but maybe I'm being too harsh.

I guess what I'm asking you folks really is - are these genuine offers
or am I being taken for a ride? I remember taking up an offer of
allegedly 'free' flights a couple of years ago. The price I paid for
'taxes and charges' miraculously came to the same price *including
taxes and charges* I would have paid had I booked the easyJet flight
myself. In that case, my suspicion was that the 'free' flights were
just a lead generator for what was an effectively a travel agency.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,

Rich.

Hi

Had our 4 bed detached cavity wall insulated for 175GBP about two years
ago - money well spent. Company from Reading - Instafoam? - did the work
100% no probs and internal walls now feel warmer. Not sure about savings but
house now more comfortable in colder months.

Phil

Had my 3-bed detatched bungalow done last December - lots of external
walls. It was subsidised by Guildford Council and done by a company from
East Sussex I think. They did a good job for about £175. Don't have a
clue what the full value would have been however.

Joy

It is good value and is about £350 to £450 worth of work.

Have you been scammed in having to pay £97? There is nothing in the
offer saying that it will cost more than £75.

In fact once I get mine done, I will be switching supplier as I am not
happy with their recent price hikes

dg

Cheers for the replies all. Seems like it is decent offer after all.

I'm happy about the price - my house *is* an odd shape, so there's a
lot of area to cover.

Incidentally, if you are thinking of switching supplier (I am too),
it's worth waiting a while. Martin Lewis at www.moneysavingexpert.com
(V reliable IMHO) reckons there's a few more price hikes to come so
it's not a level playing field at the mo.

dg wrote:
It is good value and is about £350 to £450 worth of work.

Have you been scammed in having to pay £97? There is nothing in the
offer saying that it will cost more than £75.

In fact once I get mine done, I will be switching supplier as I am not
happy with their recent price hikes

dg

Its easier said than done to get out of Powergens grasp. It has taken
alot of time in communitcations and being on hold (with bad music). They
even set me up a double account instead of closing it down. I have
changed to power2 http://www.thepower2.co.uk/ my bill has gone down and
my environmental conscious clear and they answer their phones quick.

Paul

Paul wrote:
dg wrote:
It is good value and is about £350 to £450 worth of work.

Have you been scammed in having to pay £97? There is nothing in the
offer saying that it will cost more than £75.

In fact once I get mine done, I will be switching supplier as I am not
happy with their recent price hikes

dg

Its easier said than done to get out of Powergens grasp. It has taken
alot of time in communitcations and being on hold (with bad music). They
even set me up a double account instead of closing it down. I have
changed to power2 http://www.thepower2.co.uk/ my bill has gone down and
my environmental conscious clear and they answer their phones quick.


The new supplier does all the work. The fact you had problems probably
says more about Power2 than Powergen. We certainly had no problems
switching.

MBQ

wrote:
Paul wrote:

dg wrote:

It is good value and is about £350 to £450 worth of work.

Have you been scammed in having to pay £97? There is nothing in the
offer saying that it will cost more than £75.

In fact once I get mine done, I will be switching supplier as I am not
happy with their recent price hikes

dg


Its easier said than done to get out of Powergens grasp. It has taken
alot of time in communitcations and being on hold (with bad music). They
even set me up a double account instead of closing it down. I have
changed to power2 http://www.thepower2.co.uk/ my bill has gone down and
my environmental conscious clear and they answer their phones quick.



The new supplier does all the work. The fact you had problems probably
says more about Power2 than Powergen. We certainly had no problems
switching.

MBQ

The new supplier puts in the request and that part worked. You still
have to settle your final bill with powergen which didn't work in fact
they sent me two of different values so I am now waiting for a refund.

Paul

How do qualify for the Powergen energy saving incentives (cavity wall insulation etc) ?????????????

Any info would be gratefully appreciated

Mark

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Rich wrote:

I've discovered that my electricity company, Powergen, is offering a
number of energy saving incentives, including cavity wall insulation
at a subsidised price of £75.

Had a surveyor round today who made some measurements. He said that
the full price would be £450ish, of which I would need to pay £97,
slightly over the odds because I have three external walls and my
3-bed end-terrace is not fully covered by the subsidy scheme.

Now this still seems like good value to me, assuming that the job
really is worth £450, and not threppence. Particularly good if, as he
claims, I will save an unlikely £150 per year on my gas bills.

Incidentally, there are a number of other offers which came in the
pack:

- 4 free energy-saving lightbulbs (can't say fairer than that)
- £10 off an energy-saving kettle (not for me - still pay 30 quid for
what is effectively a dosing device to make sure you only boil the
right amount of water - I'm pretty good at that anyway)
- £200 off an A-rated boiler

My gut intstinct is not to touch the last one with a bargepole. I
imagine that they's just bump up the price of the boiler to cover this
'discount', but maybe I'm being too harsh.

I guess what I'm asking you folks really is - are these genuine offers
or am I being taken for a ride? I remember taking up an offer of
allegedly 'free' flights a couple of years ago. The price I paid for
'taxes and charges' miraculously came to the same price *including
taxes and charges* I would have paid had I booked the easyJet flight
myself. In that case, my suspicion was that the 'free' flights were
just a lead generator for what was an effectively a travel agency.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,

Rich.

The cavity wall insulation is extremely good value - bite their hand off!
Even if the savings on your fuel bills are not as high as they claim, they
will be measurable - and your house will immediately gain a warmer, more
comfortable, feel. In order to get the full benefit, make sure also that
you've got adequate insulation in the loft. Are they offering a subsidy for
that? And make sure that you've not got draughts from doors and windows. Are
all your windows double glazed?

The low energy bulbs for *free* have *got* to be good!

I wouldn't bother with the rest.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

The cavity wall insulation is extremely good value - bite their hand off!
Even if the savings on your fuel bills are not as high as they claim, they
will be measurable - and your house will immediately gain a warmer, more
comfortable, feel. In order to get the full benefit, make sure also that
you've got adequate insulation in the loft. Are they offering a subsidy for
that? And make sure that you've not got draughts from doors and windows. Are
all your windows double glazed?

Glad to hear that everybody gives it a glowing review. Have accepted
the quote. Feeling very green at the moment, having just installed a
water meter and water butt.

My loft insulation seems to fall in no man's land. At 6 inches, it's
not as much as 'recommended' but too much to get any decent size of
grant. It would cost me more to have another 6 inches put in than
somebody with no insulation at all. Anyway, it was bloody freezing up
there when I went to hide some junk the other day, so that's good
enough for me.

Windows are that old aluminium-framed double glazing. Not great, but
not in need of replacing. Thick curtains will have to do.

The low energy bulbs for *free* have *got* to be good!

Sorry, can't read that sentence. I only switched the lights on two
hours ago so I can't see the screen properly yet.

Incidentally. On the subject of green energy tarrifs (discussed above),
does anyone have any recommendations for green electricity suppliers.

I'd like to switch suppliers but I've got no interest in paying a 15%
mug's supplement for 'renewable energy' when the energy company are
obliged to buy green anyway. Neither do I particularly want anyone to
plant a tree in my name, or invest in obscure educational programmes. I
could do that if I wanted by going for the cheapest brown supplier and
giving my money to charity.

Is it possible to buy from a company which offers genuinely green
electricity without the Emperor's New Clothes factor?

Rich wrote:
Incidentally. On the subject of green energy tarrifs (discussed above),
does anyone have any recommendations for green electricity suppliers.

I'd like to switch suppliers but I've got no interest in paying a 15%
mug's supplement for 'renewable energy' when the energy company are
obliged to buy green anyway. Neither do I particularly want anyone to
plant a tree in my name, or invest in obscure educational programmes. I
could do that if I wanted by going for the cheapest brown supplier and
giving my money to charity.

Is it possible to buy from a company which offers genuinely green
electricity without the Emperor's New Clothes factor?

Essentially, the answer seems to be "No". Friends of the Earth used to
do a review of "Green Electricity" and make recommendations, but they
have given up doing that (they couldn't get accurate information from
the supply companies).

What one wants to do, is to increase the demand for renewable
electricity, and and hence reduce the amount of CO2 being emitted.

There seem to be two sorts of "Green Electricity" tarrif.

a) Brands like "Juice" where provided Npower (or whoever) don't sign up
more than 10% of their customers to it, they will have enough "green"
electricity to supply - because they are obliged to buy 10% of their
supply green anyway.

b) Companies that only buy green electricty. This sounds great, until
you discover that they don't promise not to sell the "Renewables
Obligations Certificates" that they get with the green electricity.
Other supply companies can buy these instead of buying actual green
electricity - so customers still haven't increased the net amount of
green electricity generated :-(.

It seems the best choice is to choose the cheapest brown supplier you
can find, and give the extra money to a suitable organization. Anyone
got any good suggestions for that?

On 26 Oct 2005 09:36:20 -0700 someone who may be "Martin Bonner"
wrote this:-

Essentially, the answer seems to be "No". Friends of the Earth used to
do a review of "Green Electricity" and make recommendations, but they
have given up doing that (they couldn't get accurate information from
the supply companies).

http://www.foe.org.uk/campaigns/clim..._green_energy/
says something somewhat different:

"Sadly, we no longer produce a green electricity league table.

"This decision was not taken lightly - as we believe it is vital
that individuals are empowered to take personal action to tackle
climate change.

"Friends of the Earth does, of course, still support green
electricity tariffs in principle.

"However, we have decided that we can't continue putting huge
resources into what should be a government responsibility."

b) Companies that only buy green electricty. This sounds great, until
you discover that they don't promise not to sell the "Renewables
Obligations Certificates" that they get with the green electricity.
Other supply companies can buy these instead of buying actual green
electricity - so customers still haven't increased the net amount of
green electricity generated :-(.

Two 100% green electricity suppliers come to mind.

http://www.ecotricity.co.uk build wind farms with the money they
make. Thus they are investing directly in extra renewable capacity.

http://www.good-energy.co.uk don't build sustainable generation
directly. However, they do buy electricity from others who have done
so, including a sister company, creating a market for others to
invest. They also retire a proportion of their ROCs.

Both approaches are valid and both are doing their best in an
electricity system that is not of their making.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

mark harrison wrote:
How do qualify for the Powergen energy saving incentives (cavity wall
insulation etc) ?????????????

Any info would be gratefully appreciated

If you're a customer of Powergen, give them a ring on 0500 20 10 00.
There's also some info on their website:

http://www.powergen.co.uk/Pub/Dom/A/...ent.aspx?id=16

I don't think this sort of thing is limited to Powergen. Whoever
supplies your energy is obliged to offer some form of assistance, as
far as I know.

Another good source of info is the Energy Saving Trust.

http://www.est.org.uk/

http://www.ecotricity.co.uk
http://www.good-energy.co.uk

I just looked at both of these via uswitch.com. Here are the claims
that are made, together with the price I would pay for 3914kWh
(currently costing £292 with Powergen).

* Ecotricity 'New Energy':- 10% of all the electricity that you use is
matched with new green electricity. This will increase to 30% after 3
years. £348.96

* Ecotricity 'Old Energy':- Every unit of electricity that you use is
matched with wind generated power built before 1996. £377.93

* Good Energy:- Good Energy provide only renewable electricity. All
electricity supplied is generated using wind, water and solar power.
£401.98

If I'm going to pay a premium of £50 - £100, I want to be sure that
it's going somewhere useful. I'm not interested in the crafty
sleight-of-hand stuff that involves shuffling the figures.

It seems the best choice is to choose the cheapest brown supplier you
can find, and give the extra money to a suitable organization. Anyone
got any good suggestions for that?

The Centre for Alternative Technology, in Machynlleth, would be as good
an option as any. it's a fascinating and inspiring place to spend an
afternoon if you're passing by.

http://www.cat.org.uk/

On 27 Oct 2005 06:06:37 -0700 someone who may be "Rich"
wrote this:-

If I'm going to pay a premium of £50 - £100, I want to be sure that
it's going somewhere useful. I'm not interested in the crafty
sleight-of-hand stuff that involves shuffling the figures.

I don't believe either company is doing that. Others may believe
differently and others may tell you differently, for whatever
motive. It is up to you.

It seems the best choice is to choose the cheapest brown supplier you
can find, and give the extra money to a suitable organization. Anyone
got any good suggestions for that?

The Centre for Alternative Technology, in Machynlleth, would be as good
an option as any.

IIRC Good Energy take a fair proportion of the electricity they
generate.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

Rich wrote:
Glad to hear that everybody gives it a glowing review. Have accepted
the quote. Feeling very green at the moment, having just installed a
water meter and water butt.

snipped

I've just had a guy round to provide a quote for cavity wall
insullation, £99 for a 3 bed detached house, stonking good deal!! A
typical price should be in the region of £450. Should be done within 3-4
weeks :-) This price is subsidised by the local council, but I'm not
on any benefits, in fact I'm a fully paid up member of the "give all my
money to Brown" party!

I started off here http://www.est.org.uk/myhome/gid/ and searched for a
grant. My local council came up on the list so gave them a bell :-)

IHTH