Energy Saving Trust Reviews 

Accessible by phone or email.
They take time to explain.
Feel very friendly and want to help

Very helpful and courteous team. The whole process took longer than expected, due to the high number of applications in the current economic climate meaning that the team was overstretched, but overall it was achieved with a successful outcome. I contacted them several times with queries which were answered to my satisfaction.

The process was very smooth and well managed from start to finish. Every advisor we spoke to along the way could not have been more helpful or professional. As initiatives go this is an excellent opportunity for people to take advantage of solar energy and spread the cost.

Helpful customer service team who explained the whole process and the requirements for the loan. The loan didn’t quite cover the full cost of our PV Solar Panel & Battery installation but it definitely helped to reduce the installation cost as I didn’t need to take out a personal loan. Only drawback is that the waiting period to receive the loan was several weeks after the installers final invoice date therefore we needed to take out a temporary loan to cover the bill rather than miss the installers deadline.

Staff very helpful, although initial process could have been simpler

Staff at the energy saving trust are excellent. They were all very helpful with my questions and worries about the process. They were also very knowledgeable and were able to help me with everything that I needed to do to complete the very bureaucratic process to apply and get the loan and cashback.

Unfortunately the installers were not as good! It's also a shame that you have to have several thousand pounds available for several months as the installers require a deposit prior to the first part of the loan being available and then payment in full on completion of installation which was a couple of months before the remaining cashback/loan drawdown was available. This effectively rules out many of the people who would benefit from this scheme because of the need for up to £5K before receiving the money from the scheme, plus the process of getting the process completed is very cumbersome and long winded.

Really good advice from helpful people who know what they are talking about. The interest free loans made it possible for me to do works that otherwise we couldn't have afforded.
Our household is now much 'greener' than before and the reduction in our bills more than covers the costs of the works

Fantastic scheme available to those in Scotland.
Besides the loan they provide valuable advice to make sure you're not being over charges for energy saving measures. The loan is great value with fantastic repayment terms.

Great service, polite and helpful assistants.

Overall a very positive experience with Home Energy Scotland who delivered the loan/grant as applied for covering Insulation (floor, walls, lofts, Room in roof), Solar PV and Battery.
Although the end to end process took 10+ months it was extremely helpful and I could not have made the improvements without this help.
Therefore i would not hesitate to recommend the scheme to anyone who is interested in making energy efficiency and renewable improvements to their home

I used the Energy Saving Trust interest free loan to put solar PV on my house. I think this is an excellent initiative and more people should be aware of it.

The team at EST do a great job, they are clearly overstretched at the moment due to the energy crisis but every time I spoke to them they were friendly and helpful.

Some things took a bit of time to turn around, and most of the communication has to be done in an email > response type manner with often several weeks between sending an email and getting a response, but given that they are doing this at zero profit (in fact overall loss due to the overhead of running the scheme) I think they're doing an excellent job.

It was quick, simple and easy to use.

Very helpfull team, paperwork for loan was straight forward, application for interest free loan went through but was slow due to demand, loan received and paid of install which was held up due to delays in getting equipment.
Would use them again if required

EST enabled me to install solar panels and a battery at minimal upfront cost thanks to a 0% loan over 12 years. Every time I contacted them on the phone I received the help I needed in a calm and friendly manner. I have now completed the process and enjoying greener, cheaper energy!

We applied successfully to fund a biomass boiler to replace our oil boiler through the scheme. It was very straightforward, information regarding documentation was clear. We received the grant quickly.

We applied successfully to fund a heat pump to replace our old system through the scheme. It really was a straightforward experience, with clear information regarding documentation and information required and very useful checklists to ensure you included everything needed. While the turnaround time for a response on email could be long, I was aware that this could be the case, and staff were always knowledgeable and friendly and answered all queries. We now have a warm house and expect to notice a difference in our bills, as well as doing our bit for the environment.

***Updating based on the reply from EST *** They mention they have a load of installers - however at the last check of the closest 45 on the list - there are zero still fitting domestic EV installs - they've all moved to commercial - and no one in the EST cares to change the data they give out to customers.

Also the 10 day turnaround is NEVER met (according to off-the-record comments made by their own staff).

I never complain however have to make an exception here as the service is a total waste of taxpayers' money.

Rubbish process to get used EV car loan - honestly it would be quicker building the car yourself - 3 months from start to finish and then they move goalposts.

The whole EV process is crap - the infrastructure is broken and charging costs more than petrol when using a rapid charge network (the only time-effective way to charge). Also, the grant for a charge point at the house is limited to certain installers most of who have stopped installing so worthless.

Not a good experience.

The loan available was substantial enough to make the project feasible so thank you.
The process took longer than expected and the form was more difficult to fill in than I had expected. Contacting the trust was quite difficult but once I got through they were extremely helpful and in the end everything happened quite smoothly.

Quick and easy service. Very straight forward if you supply all the requested paperwork. Payment was also very quick.

Great service, staff couldn't be more helpful when contacting them.
The 0% APR loan is great for any improvements if its available.