A Plymouth company which aims to lower the carbon emissions from households – could be on the verge of expansion.
A PLYMOUTH company which aims to lower the carbon emissions from households – cutting bills for some of the city’s poorest families – could be on the verge of expansion thanks to the Government’s £3billion scheme to make homes more energy efficient.
Carbon Saving Group, based at Plymouth Science Park, already carries out work to make homes more energy efficient by installing modern heating systems and insulation in wall cavities, lofts and even under floors.
They are able to offer the improvements to lower-income households for a nominal fee of as little as £295 as they are funded by energy companies who ‘buy back’ the carbon in an offset scheme aimed to lower their own overall emissions.
Tom Read, director of Carbon Saving Group, is now finding out how the existing funding arrangements, which are related to the Paris Climate Accord, will fit with the scheme unveiled by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in Wednesday’s ‘mini-budget’.
Mr Sunak said vouchers worth up to £5,000 will be on offer for homeowners and landlords, covering at least two-thirds of the cost of insulation and other energy-efficient measures.
He also said some of the lowest income households will get the full costs of energy efficient refits paid up to £10,000.
For Carbon Saving Group, this potential additional funding could mean more apprentices and the purchase of more vans, which would be a triple win for the city through expansion of their business, a cut to carbon emissions and lower bills for householders.
Mr Read said: “If this is the case these are exciting times we can expand the business bringing on new apprentices, new installers, more admin staff, more marketing, new advertising and more recruitment so the whole area should benefit – and we are all contributing to bringing down emissions so the fight against climate change begins.”
The company’s current funding packages mean any households with a total net income of less than £30,000 – once council tax and energy bills are taken off – are eligible for the green refits.
Experts visit homes to work out the carbon score of the home – similar to an EPC – and then establish whether more energy-efficient boilers or insulation could save energy, and therefore carbon.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the company were unable to carry out work but continued processing applications for new refits, including a ‘priority’ service for health professionals, care providers and essential workers as a ‘thank you’ for their part in the nation’s recovery.
Mr Read said at the time: “I have been keen to try to find ways which our company can help those on the front line as I feel it’s a small way to say thank you to a huge number of people.”