Mutuals in Fair Green Deal

Ecology Building Society and The Energy Saving Co-operative have launched a unique partnership offering a ‘Fair Green Deal’ to help homeowners save energy, save money and help the environment.

The pilot projects, available in Oxfordshire, the West Midlands and the East Midlands, offer a co-operative alternative to the government’s Green Deal scheme.

The Energy Saving Co-operative connects homeowners, communities and small businesses with energy saving expertise and sources of fair finance – including Ecology’s C-Change Retrofit mortgage discounts.

Members receive free, straightforward advice on energy saving improvements, which are installed through trusted local tradespeople.

For those undertaking substantial renovations, Ecology’s C-Change Retrofit scheme offers mortgage discounts linked to improvements in the home’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. Ecology will also waive its application fee for Energy Saving Co-operative members, giving a saving of £250.

Ewan Jones, chief executive of The Energy Saving Co-operative, said: “The Fair Green Deal does what the government's Green Deal should do – put power in the hands of homeowners, communities and small businesses, to help them capture the benefits from energy savings rather than hand these over to the financial markets and the 'Big Six' energy supply companies.”

Paul Ellis, chief executive of Ecology Building Society, said: “If we’re serious about cutting our carbon footprint we need a widespread effort to retrofit our homes – the Fair Green Deal is an important response to this challenge, rooted in local communities. It’s a natural fit for Ecology, as a mutual and as the only mortgage lender to incentivise homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties.”

The Energy Saving Co-operative plans to extend the Fair Green Deal scheme nationwide following the three regional pilots.