Government announces details on green deal

The government’s ’green deal’ to offer energy efficient refurbishments to existing homes is expected to be available from autumn 2012 and should create 100,000 new jobs.

Chris Huhne, energy and climate change secretary, will announce details on the scheme today and legislation to start the process of establishing the ’green deal’, which will enable home owners and businesses to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties and pay back the cost from the saving on energy bills, will be introduced into parliament next month.

The ’green deal’ will involve a three-step process beginning with an independent energy survey of the property and advice on the best energy efficiency options.

Step two is to arrange finance, which will be provided by a range of accredited providers that will be repaid through savings on energy bills.

In the final step homes and businesses will receive their energy efficiency package. Only accredited measures will be installed by appropriately-qualified installers, overseen by government.

Huhne will also announce that the forthcoming Energy Bill will create powers allowing any tenant asking for reasonable energy efficiency improvements to receive them from 2015 onwards. It will also allow local authorities to insist that landlords improve the worst performing homes.

The Government is absolutely right to be including the private rented sector in its ’green deal’ energy efficiency plans.

Colin Butfield

WWF says it welcomes the announcement. Colin Butfield, head of campaigns said: “The Government is absolutely right to be including the private rented sector in its ’green deal’ energy efficiency plans. Without efforts to improve the millions of homes in the rented sector, the UK would be unable to reduce carbon emissions sufficiently or tackle fuel poverty.

“A tight deadline for these minimum standards is absolutely vital to drive necessary improvements in energy efficiency, and WWF would urge the Government to go further and set a standard that increases over time, helping us reach near zero-carbon existing homes by 2050.”

WWF also called on the government to ensure that it makes the most of the job opportunities associated with the Green Deal, by making the scheme as attractive as possible to homeowners.

Butfield added that WWF view the ’green deal’ as crucial to ensuring the UK is able to meet its 2020 carbon budgets. “But it needs to be attractive enough to encourage everyone to take action. Households will be looking for financial incentives, such as council tax rebates, to sign up in their masses, and help move the UK closer to becoming a more sustainable, low carbon economy.”