Energy saving retrofit trial - it's not just about money

04.08.2011

Findings, just published from an energy saving home improvement trial, indicate that homeowners are not only motivated by immediate financial savings on their energy bills. Motivating factors also included making their home more comfortable, improving its appearance and taking the hassle out of the improvements by having an expert come in and do the whole installation. The findings of this trial have been carried out by sustainability experts BioRegional.

The pilot will assist in informing the Government’s Green Deal which aims to help householders improve the energy efficiency of their homes; reducing fuel bills and CO2 emissions. The pilot was run in a unique partnership between B&Q, The London Borough of Sutton and BioRegional, to explore one way of delivering the finance, assessments and installations.

The 67-home pilot, based in the London Borough of Sutton, is one of five DECC funded Pay-As-You-Save (PAYS) pilots around the country that began in 2009 and ended in 2011. The Sutton homes were retrofitted by B&Q with energy efficiency measures such as insulation, draught proofing, boiler upgrades and solar photovoltaics. The average capital spending per household was around £13,000 and was funded through a 40% grant and a council-administrated interest-free loan for the remaining 60%, for which householders could choose between a 10-year or 25-year repayment period. Households should see a predicted 26% average reduction in the CO2emissions of their property.

Sue Riddlestone, Executive Director of BioRegional, said:  “We are pleased to have evaluated the performance of this pilot which should make a useful contribution to the detail of how the Green Deal could operate when it is launched later next year. The CO2 savings from the retrofit are a good start but we need to complete the picture by making sure that the Green Deal makes behaviour change towards using less energy a priority too. Turning down the thermostat is free and it’s going to be persuasive if consumers are told about the cost and carbon savings of that next to those of an expensive solar panel!”

James Walker, B&Q’s Project Manager said: “This trial shows that creating a home which is both comfortable and green is a priority for many. Being offered the finance and expertise unlocks the opportunity for homeowners to make energy-saving improvements to their homes that they wouldn’t otherwise have been motivated to make.  What we’ve learnt is that every home is unique, there won’t be a one size fits all energy retrofit solution and that influencing behaviour change from those living within the house are as important as making the energy-saving changes to its fabric”.

Cllr Colin Hall, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change on Sutton Council, said: “It’s vital that energy use in homes is reduced if Sutton is to achieve its aim of One Planet Living, so the Pay As You Save scheme is a big step forward.  It shows that you can improve your comfort while saving money and helping the planet”.

“The council works hard to find new ways of helping residents to live greener lifestyles, and it’s great news that so many people have signed up to the PAYS initiative. Feedback from homeowners showed that the council’s involvement made the scheme more trustworthy. The project also made eco-upgrades more affordable for homeowners as there was no capital to pay upfront and council taxpayer’s haven’t had to pay a penny towards the works carried out”.

Download the full report  ‘Helping to inform the Green Deal : Green Shoots from Pay As You Save’ from www.bioregional.com/files/publications/Helping-to-inform-the-Green-Deal-green-shoots-from-Pay-As-You-Save.pdf


EDITORS NOTES

B&Q, the London Borough of Sutton and BioRegional already had a relationship from being part of a holistic sustainability initiative called One Planet Living for a number of years. www.bioregional.com/oneplanetliving

BioRegional is a social enterprise which initiates and delivers practical solutions that help us to live within a fair share of the earth’s resources – what we call one planet living. We work in partnership with organisations around the world, and we help others to achieve sustainability through consultancy, education and informing policy. www.bioregional.com 

Sutton Council is a renowned forward thinking council setting the agenda in sustainability. In 2010 it won an Environmental Planning Award from the Environment Agency for its work on One Planet Living. www.sutton.gov.uk

B&Q is the UK’s largest home and garden retailer with over 330 stores in the UK employing over 30,000 people. B&Q was placed 18th on this year’s Sunday Times Green Companies List, having reduced its carbon output by 20 per cent a year ahead of its target. www.diy.com/oneplanethome  

PAYS (Pay-As-You-Save) was launched prior to the Green Deal with the overall objective to trial different repayment routes and to test consumer attitudes towards the whole-house retrofit offer and implementation, as well as understand what the barriers and practical considerations were for the partners involved in the project. www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Home-improvements-and-products/Pay-As-You-Save-Pilots

Green Deal is a government initiative which aims to enable householders and businesses to improve the energy efficiency of their property, thereby reducing fuel bills and CO2 emissions. The costs of a Green Deal energy retrofit will be spread out and paid through energy bills and the charge will be attached to the meter.  www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/tackling/green_deal/green_deal.aspx