Householders are to be offered long-term loans to help make their homes more energy efficient under a new Government scheme.
Under the Green Deal, which was launched this month by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), households can use cheap loans to spend on energy-saving improvements, such as insulation and new boilers, with no upfront cost. DECC believe that hundreds more households than expected had already signed up for assessments to join the project, and official figures are currently being collated.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said, "The Green Deal will help thousands of homes stay warm for less. Those people will benefit from energy saving improvements - and their energy bills will fall. The UK green sector is a success story. It is the sixth largest in the world and has a crucial part to play in building a strong economy. The Green Deal will support thousands of jobs, not just over the next few years, but in the long-term."
Anyone joining the scheme would first have to have their home reviewed by an independent assessor, advising on possible upgrades, costs and energy saving timescales. Green Deal providers would then calculate quotes for the proposed work, with households free to get multiple quotes before carrying out the changes. Improvements are installed at no initial cost, instead charges are covered with cheap loans via the not-for-profit Green Deal Finance Company, and recouped gradually through customers' electricity bills.
However, campaigners have warned that the scheme does not go far enough. Ed Matthews, head of fuel poverty campaign group Energy Bill Revolution said, "The Green Deal will not stop fuel poverty rocketing in the face of high gas prices. We call on the Prime Minister to use money from the carbon tax to super-insulate this country's homes. This will provide households with five times more subsidy to insulate their homes and not add a penny more to energy bills. It is enough to eliminate fuel poverty and in time cut bills for everyone. It is the just and fair solution."
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