Since the Green Deal’s Launch last January, DECC has been running a £125 million cash back scheme to encourage take up although only £4 million has been paid out so far! After an original boost last December which offered up to £4000 for solid wall insulation, this new attempt  will now offer up to £6000 for solid wall insulation, £100 to take up 2 of the recommendations and additional cash as a refund on the original Green Deal Assessment. 

The scheme which is called the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund and opens in July this year,  will also allow new home owners to claim an additional £500 cash  if they carry out the energy efficiency improvements. 

Commentators have been muted about it’s potential success with John Alder of the UK Green Building Council commenting  that although ” the scheme is a genuine attempt to rescue the Green Deal” and ” the increased cash-back on solid wall insulation is particularly encouraging” he went on to say that “…this isn’t problem solved” and “while this new package will certainly help, government still needs to go further to make energy efficiency more attractive…”

JB comments  Green Deal sweeteners are one thing but the general premise of paying higher bills to pay back the loans, coupled with the general upheaval required to complete  measures such as solid wall insulation, are going to be very difficult consumer objections for which the salesmen in Whitehall will need to get the measure before the whole scheme becomes an inefficient white elephant!