Ouch! – Green Deal slated by Savage MP’s
A recent report by the Energy and Climate Change Committee has called for the government to rethink the failing Green Deal Scheme.
In the report , MP’s savaged the Scheme stating that it was “flawed”, “failing” and “Poorly implemented” . The report described the Green Deal as a “Disappointing failure” in its first 18 months, reflecting that any CO2 saving have been “negligible”.
Take up of the Green Deal, which offers loans for energy efficiency measures, paid back in utility bills, has been very slow with only about 1800 plans being completing since launch in January 2013.
The report said the benefits of the scheme’s pay-as-you-save model had been “undermined by the fact that the scheme has lacked flexibility and clarity at every stage”.
The MPs said further incentives such as stamp duty discounts or variable council tax rates, both of which have construction industry support, should be “considered” as ways to revive the scheme.
The report goes on to say: “Unless the package is made more attractive to a wider group of consumers, Green Deal finance is likely to remain unappealing to many.”
It added that the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund, which offered cash incentives to customers installing energy efficiency measures but had to close after just six weeks as all the money had been allocated, was “likely to have caused more confusion and mistrust”.
It also said the scheme suffered from a lack of awareness and efforts to promote the Green Deal needed to be a “major priority” for government.
Energy secretary Ed Davey said the government was “track” to improve the energy efficiency of one million homes by March 2015, with “over 750,000” homes improved to date.
“We share the committee’s ambition to drive a step-change in home energy efficiency – helping to cut carbon emissions and control energy bills,” he added.
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