Time running out to bag 7.5% return with Trillion Fund investment

Early bird bonus ends on 28th February.

Time is running out to take advantage of the early bird bonus on the latest wind turbine investment from Trillion Fund.

Those that invest before 28th February will receive a fixed 7.5% return on their cash. But from 1st March, the rate drops down to 7%.

What is the investment?

Trillion Fund is a crowdfunding platform for renewable energy projects, and is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Its latest big project is from E5 Energy, which is a joint venture from wind turbine manufacturer Endurance and maintenance firm Earthmill.

The project is looking to raise a minimum of £1.25, up to £2.5 million, to finance the installation of ten turbines on farms across the UK.

So far £more than £610,000 has been invested.

The firms behind E5 raised funds through Trillion Fund last time for another wind turbine project. That investment had to be closed early as it was oversubscribed.

What will I get for my money?

The investment runs over a three-year term, and you can invest with as little as £50.

Here’s a table showing a forecast of the returns you can look forward to across different levels of investments, with or without the early bird bonus.

If you invest you’ll get your first interest payment on 31st October 2015, then every six months after that.

The bi-annual payment will be 3.75%, so long as you take advantage of the early bird bonus rate, or 3.5% if you miss the boat.

You’ll get the interest payments until 30th April 2018 when you should expect to receive your capital back.

How safe is my money?

As with any investment your capital is at risk.

There’s no protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) so you’re taking a gamble by investing money.

However, the loans are asset-backed, which removes some of the risk. Investors’ money will be secured against up to ten wind turbines located in the UK.

The turbines earn money through the sale of the electricity they generate and they are expected to make enough to power 507 homes annually.

E5 Energy argues that it’s unlikely wind levels would differ so much from the forecast that it would impact its ability to repay loans.

Insurance and maintenance agreements are also in place to protect the turbines during the term of the investment.

Other things to consider

You’ll need to pay tax on the returns you make from this investment. However, this won’t be deducted at source, so you’ll need to declare them on a self-assessment tax return and pay what you owe direct to HMRC.

The loan term is for three years. In theory, you may be able to get out of it early. After six months you can try to transfer your loan back to E5 Energy, so long as it can find another investor willing to lend the same amount. However, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to do this.

If you miss the early bird bonus you’ll still be able to invest at 7% from 1st March until 30th April 2015 or when the fund reaches its target.

Invest in the E5 Energy project via Trillion Fund

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