Energy Matters Forums

[Inspector]

Sounds like the loan approval is going through the same government department that is looking after the energy assessments!!!

A Current Affair/Today Tonight could fill an entire episode with this story!

[KarenS]

I visited my Credit Union, mecu, on Monday 8 February. I was looking to
1. Apply for my Green Loan
2. Shift my (small) mortgage from a robber associated with a Big4 institution to the credit union
3. Transfer my Credit Card (with a different Big4 robber) to the credit union.

I am a pensioner, 60+, and with occasional, casual and intermittent employment and income, so I don't fall into your 'preferred borrower' categories, by any manner of means, LOL

The mortgage/Credit Card shift got preliminary approval on Thursday 11; the Green Loan was approved on Monday 15 Feb.
I shall be going in again sometime next week, to sign assorted documents etc - certainly the Green Loan and the credit card stuff, and they are trying for the mortgage stuff as well, so we can do it all in the one visit.

This credit union has VERY green credentials,
( http://www.mecu.com.au/reports/sustaina ... -2009.html )
and I have been a member of it or it's predecessors since sometime in the late 1970s. Obviously both of these things helped!!

But if my lot can do it in a week, when I don't tick many of the required boxes for standard loan applications, and I was re-ordering some other financial matters of some complexity at the same time, then I suggest you have a good look at your financial services provider if it can't do something similar!

[David Chung]

Credit Unions seem to be the main supporters of this program. If you're in Newcastle, I've had friends who had a good experience with Hunter United Credit Union and got their Green Loan within a week.
Their website is www.hunterunited.com.au

[MichaelB]

If we're understanding this correctly, Green Loans will be given the axe by the government next month:

http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.p ... cle_id=773

We're still chasing information, so we'll update that news item as new details become available.

[bpratt]

If we're understanding this correctly, Green Loans will be given the axe by the government next month:

http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.p ... cle_id=773

We're still chasing information, so we'll update that news item as new details become available.

Not only that, but the solar hot water rebate is to slashed by $600 too !!

We are currently 'in the system' for the Qld Govt., one, so it looks like due to no fault of our own, we're going to have to find another $600 for our solar hot water system, that we weren't expecting to pay.

I really doubt that the Qld Govt will pony up the extra $600.

Not happy Jan!

[KarenS]

If we're understanding this correctly, Green Loans will be given the axe by the government next month:

http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.p ... cle_id=773

We're still chasing information, so we'll update that news item as new details become available.

I wonder if anyone has bothered to point out to them that one of the reasons that the loans 'haven't been popular' is that they are so far behind in issuing Assessment reports!!! People can't apply for a loan until they get their assessment report. and if these are as vague and non-specific as mine was, and others appear to have been, it can take some time to digest the document, and then decide where to go.

It also appears that some financial institutions have been less than helpful in providing loans within the framework provided, and those without access to fora and information sources such as this one, may have been knocked back, or given to understand that 'odd' conditions apply, and thus discouraged from pursuing the matter further.

Michael, perhaps EM or someone else could see if you can find out what proportion of loans applied for/approved are compared with Assessment REPORTS ISSUED, rather than compared with Assessments carried out! I'd reckon that the figures would produce a rather different result!

[MichaelB]

Hi Karen,

It certainly was a curious turn of phrase and interpretation of the situation from the government.

There's been so much upheaval in the industry over the last couple of days, we're still all catching our breath and I haven't spoken at length to EM management about it all to get our official comment on the situation for an article; but I hope to publish something next week. I'll try to get some figures together as well.

We may be able to provide some feedback to the government via the article; so if anyone is happy to have their comments quoted, please indicate that in further comments below. I can't promise we'll get them all into one article, but enough to generally represent the views of some of the people affected who really want the Green Loans program to continue. We have quite a few politicians who follow our news stories and some may even follow this thread.

[Fairsy]

I fully endorse that post. People have been waiting since as early as October for their reports to come back, it has been impossible to get through to the hotline since mid Jan and there must be at least 100000 people waiting for these reports. To be told that the scheme has been unpopular is a plain lie and the Minister knows it. What I don't understand is why the media is not running with this story and keep running the ministers lies.

[bpratt]

This is the sort of thing we should be taking to those 'tabloid tv' shows, and giving them as much ammo as possible to try and get something happening.

We know why Green Loans haven't been taken up as much as what they could have been, but 'Joe Sixpack and Wanda Nailpolish' have no idea, other than perhaps it appears that it isn't as worthwhile to take up green options, because no one else is taking advantage of it.

Whilst we're at it, perhaps we should be trying to drive one of those 'tabloid tv' shows to help push the barrow for us on the National Gross Feed in Tariff, as at http://www.feedintariff.com.au/ (as if anyone here really needs to be given the url ? ).

TodayTonight or A Current Affair can take the 'cause' onward and upward to promote it and their own green 'credentials', whilst at the same time opening the doors to the unwashed masses that solar panels are an affordable option and a very green option when compared to coal powered stations.

[Fairsy]

I have just posted a message on their feedback part of their website but what we really need is a contact number where we can speak to a real person.