Worcester welcomes Green deal

The Coalition Government's Green Deal has been welcomed by Worcester, but but with concern that the overall energy strategy will focus too much on insulation at the expense of generation.

The Green Deal is the central plank of the Coalition Government's green strategy and aims to encourage mass adoption of energy efficiency measures across UK homes.

It will introduce a 'pay as you save' scheme that means efficiency measures, such as loft and cavity wall insulation, will be repaid through a charge on a home's energy meter offset by the savings made on fuel bills.

As part of the programme, home insulation will be bought through high street retailers and supermarkets and will require energy audits.

Banks are also expected to get involved, providing financing packages to homeowners.

Neil Schofield, head of sustainable development at Worcester, Bosch Group, commented: "I think everyone in the heating industry will welcome the new Coalition Government's commitment to energy efficiency, but my concern is that, as it stands, the Green Deal is something of a one-trick pony".

"Ideally any domestic energy strategy should combine plans to deal with both heat insulation and generation.

Unfortunately, the Green Deal only implements half a solution.

If the UK is to achieve its climate change targets and, crucially, ensure that its energy bills are lowered, particularly for the most vulnerable, we badly need to implement the other half of this equation and decommission the four million Band 'G' boilers which are still in operation".

Schofield also has some concerns about the method of implementation: "Homeowners who have insulation fitted will be charged for the cost with a levy on their electricity bill.

The Government has chosen this method because almost all homes have electricity, but the fact is the majority of homes in the UK are heated by gas".

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