British Gas launches £50 initative for insulation referrals
The energy company British Gas has announced a new initiative to identify the elderly and households on benefits for insulation.
The move, which offers £50 to anyone who passes on the name of an elderly or person or family on benefits, is part of a drive to get insulation into half a million vulnerable homes by next year.
Those who qualify for the British Gas offer must be either on Pension Credit, receiving Child Tax Credit below £16,190, or on certain income-related benefits.
The announcement follows a range of recent insulation offers - including a similar free insulation deal from e-ON - owing to government targets of halving carbon emissions by 2025, and the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT).
Home insulation is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce energy bills, making homes warmer and more energy-efficient.
It is estimated both loft and wall insulation could save the average home up to £310 a year on energy bills, second-only to the £420 you could save by switching your energy.
Commenting on the initiative, Kevin Sears, energy efficiency expert at uSwitch, said: 'Over eight in ten people (83%) cut down or rationed their energy use this winter because of cost.
'For consumers battling high bills, energy efficiency is one of the biggest weapons they have, and while loft and cavity wall insulation could cut bills by up to 40%, some people are put off by the initial costs.
'But with suppliers desperate to hit carbon reduction targets set by the Government, they are falling over themselves to offer consumers great deals on products such as insulation.
'The real challenge to suppliers is raising awareness of the money on offer – our research shows that over half of consumers (52%) have no idea that they can get this help and just a fifth have been contacted by their supplier about the scheme.
'This offer from British Gas should help draw attention to the help available, and could help more people cut their energy bill.'
Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT)
CERT is an obligation that all energy suppliers have to fulfill to help reduce cut carbon emissions.
Under the CERT scheme, energy suppliers provide grants and discounts to their customers to pay for things like loft insulation and wall insulation.
Grants through CERT schemes are made widely available, but there is a continuing focus on vulnerable customers.
40% of funding is spent on the 'priority group' and grants to this group are typically 100% of costs, whereas grants to non-priority groups tend to be for a proportion of costs.
CERT will run until December 2012 when it will be replaced by a new scheme, the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), which is intended to support the government's Green Deal; this will focus exclusively on the poorest and most vulnerable households.
Latest utilities stories
- Solar panel subsidy cut delayed The proposed cut to the solar power subsidy has been delayed until August 1st.
- Scotland could supply water to the world Countries suffering from water shortages could have their demands met by Scotland, Infrastructure Secretary Alex Neil has announced.
- Help for small energy firms in reformed market The government is to find a way to help small independent green energy suppliers compete with bigger companies in a reformed market.