Lower incomes getting funding for insulation and solar

 

Alix

Yeah, absolutely. So I actually just had a conversation with this company called Enervee, based in the States. And they developed a marketplace that they offer to utilities. And on this marketplace, they provide white goods or heating assets such as heat pumps, together with installation. But the really interesting aspect of the offer is that they actually provide what they call eco financing with it. So customers are able to get some finance to acquire these white goods or heating systems that are actually very environmental friendly. They have been rated and selected by Enervee, and they're actually able to offer that because they have partnerships with banks and also with the state so the state of California. So I found it quite interesting because it actually gives the opportunity for lower income households to access these more energy efficient goods that they could not acquire if it was a capital purchase. And in many cases, also, customers actually don't even have the possibility to get a loan for several reasons. So that's definitely quite interesting. And that's the kind of model that could totally be replicated for other systems, insulation, heating systems, and not just in the US. I think in Europe there's a gap.

So you cited Otovo Nigel, which is the marketplace, and it makes really easy for customers to get the right system. But I think we need more of that because the energy user remains quite unengaged with energy. They don't know what kilowatt hours are. So, yeah, they need energy suppliers or other actors to help them, to advise them to make the right choices. I think.

 I think the financing is part of the solution, whatever the solution is. But I would probably recommend governments and providers to actually offer something with whole house renovation and that would include just installation but also heating systems together with financing because first it makes sense on a financial perspective. But it's also, I think the easiest way to protect the end user and not to have the end user choosing between heating and eating, as Nigel is saying.

Jon

Okay, so whole house renovation financed over a longish period of time and that would reduce demand, reduced bills, reduce dependence on energy imports and more.

FROM:

https://www.delta-ee.com/podcasts/special-episode-the-energy-crisis/