Witney News - Council strikes Green Deal for West Oxfordshire residents

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Council strikes Green Deal for West Oxfordshire residents

The District Council has become a shareholder in a new Community Interest Company that allows homeowners and businesses to cut energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint.

West Oxfordshire District Council has agreed to become a founding member of a new social enterprise that will see it become a Green Deal provider - the Government’s new flagship scheme set to revolutionise the energy efficiency of the nation’s housing stock.

Householders will be able to install energy saving measures such as insulation and new boilers with no upfront costs because the resulting savings on their monthly energy bills will finance a loan to pay for the measures.

The initiative replaces all current national energy efficiency schemes and will be rolled out this October.

Signing up to this new venture follows the Council’s recent achievements to become an environmental leader by reducing its carbon footprint by over 15 per cent in the past three years.

Under the Green Deal homeowners can have an assessment of their property which identifies measures that will help reduce energy waste. The homeowner can then take this to a provider who will supply them with a comprehensive quote, including how much improvements will cost to install, how much the bill payer will be expected to save and how long the repayment will take. The assessment will also make sure that the savings are equal or superior to the cost of installing the measures.

Cllr David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “This is an innovative scheme that allows households and businesses the opportunity to not only make energy savings but also become more environmentally friendly without directly paying for it.

“By becoming a shareholder, this will allow the Council to ensure that residents are given a reliable effective service, rather than have to rely on external organisations over which it has no control or influence.”

Posted : 24/08/2012 16:51:01

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