Industry still waiting for Green Deal clarity

The industry is calling on the government to avert ‘disaster’ over the Green Deal as it seizes what it sees as a last chance to influence the policy.

Firms are still awaiting clarity over issues such as accreditation, financing and market take-up.

The Green Deal consultation document, expected this week, is thought unlikely to include financial incentives on VAT reductions or stamp duty.

The need for clarity on the scheme was among the priorities raised with construction minister Mark Prisk (pictured) at the first meeting of the government’s Green Construction Board.

 Speaking to H&V News, Mr Prisk said: “One of the first remarks at the meeting was on the Green Deal; that people within industry want to know how it will work and the details.

To continue reading click here

For further Green Deal information and news see the following website: http://www.green-deal.uk.com follow us on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/greendeal

Essex-based Climate Energy Solutions had an extra pair of hands to help out yesterday when the Prime Minister stopped by to talk to the team about cavity-wall insulation.

 Ahead of yesterday’s Energy Summit, David Cameron visited a Climate Energy Solutions team working in London to talk about insulation, the installation process and what difference is makes to properties.

For more information about Climate Energy or Green Deal updates please see: www.climateenergy.org.uk

Green Deal News from Department of Energy and Climate Change..

On the 4th of October we achieved an important milestone for the Green Deal when the Energy Bill cleared the House of Lords without any further amendments or additional votes.

The next stage is for the Bill to receive Royal Assent, which we expect shortly.


As you are aware the Bill contains powers that will allow householders to pay for energy efficiency improvements to their homes from the savings they make by using less gas and electricity.

Preparations continue for the launch of the Green Deal consultation at the end of October.
As key stakeholders your support fine tuning the details of policy and secondary legislation has been crucial and I extend my thanks to you. It's important that we gain the maximum input into our consultation, and so we are planning an extensive engagement programme to discuss the content with you and
ensure you can feed in your views as soon as possible.

There is more progress to report and I will be writing to you again later this month with a fuller update."Greg Barker, DECC Minister


Source: bre.co.uk




For more info on The Green Deal why not see our site for the latest politics and plans click & visit www.green-deal.uk.com

BSI Releases Green Deal Standard For Industry Review

The British Standards Institution (BSI), working with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), has released the draft Green Deal Standard for the installation of energy efficiency measures to comply with the UK Government's Green Deal initiative.
BSI is asking industry to get involved and share their feedback before the standard is finalised.

The new specification, known as PAS 2030, sets out requirements that installers will follow to ensure the installation of new energy efficiency measures is completed properly. The PAS addresses issues such as installation controls, equipment, inspections, handover and corrective action procedures.

The standard was developed by an expert working group bringing together the views of government, trade associations from the construction, building, energy and manufacturing sectors, business and consumers.

 As part of the British Government's Green Deal initiative, all installers will have to be certified to PAS 2030.  Therefore, this is the industry's opportunity to get involved in the development of the specification, ensuring that it reflects their needs and provides best practice guidance for all installers. 

Ann Francke, Managing Director for Global Customer & Product Strategy at BSI, says, "The Green Deal is vital in helping the UK meet its climate change commitments. By producing a robust framework for monitoring the delivery aspects of the Government's Green Deal initiative, BSI can help ensure the equipment, installations and operation is done correctly.


This is vital to underpinning the fundamental promise behind the Green Deal which we believe is win-win for all installers, green deal providers and their customers.  This standard developed by BSI will play a key role in supporting the Green Deal by protecting UK homes and the people who live in them."

"The working group has delivered an outstanding draft standard and now it is the opportunity for industry to get involved with addressing the issue of installing energy efficiency measures."

The period for industry feedback on PAS 2030 will end on Monday October 24th 2011 and it is hoped that a broad selection of industry stakeholders will read and comment on the draft. The comments will be reviewed by a representative steering group in November 2011 and it is expected the full PAS will be published by the end of January 2012. Comments can be registered online by clicking here.

Source: oilfiredup.com

See more on Energy Efficiency & Green Deal. Visit us online www.green-deal.uk.com

Energy efficiency and renewable energy to get large share of EUR 346bn ERDF budget

Green Energy efficiency and renewable energy are set to be one of the 11 investment priorities under a new EUR 346 billion European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) budget for 2014-2020 being discussed in Brussels this week.

They constitute two areas that have been neglected during the current 2007-2013 budget period.

The European Commission's ERDF budget proposals, which were presented by the European Commission last Thursday, foresee a total budget of EUR 376 billion (one percent of Europe Gross National Income) for economic, social and territorial cohesion for the period 2014-2020.

The ERDF is a vital part of funding many infrastructure projects and aims to correct imbalances between regions. It supports R&D and innovation in climate change and environment, business support to SMEs, energy and transport infrastructures and sustainable urban development, amongst other things.

Amongst the 11 investment priorities defined, one aims to support the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors, including energy efficiency in public infrastructures, and the housing sector.

From 2014, the so-called 'transition regions' of Europe (in the UK this includes Merseyside and South Yorkshire) and the more developed regions will be required to focus the largest part of their allocation (except for the European Social Fund) on energy efficiency and renewable energy, competitiveness of SMEs, and innovation, with 20% of resources to be focused on energy efficiency and renewables.

Source: eaem.co.uk

More info on energy efficiency at Green Deal visit our site to view the latest environmental activities regarding renewable energy sources www.green-del.uk.com

Green Deal Finance Company “open to all”

The Green Deal Finance Company, the new not-for-profit venture promising to unlock billions of pounds of investment to bankroll the Green Deal, will be "open to all" businesses that want to join it.
Any accredited Green Deal provider, whatever their size, will be able to become a member of the Green Deal Finance Company (GDFC) and offer cheap loans to customers looking to make improvements to their homes and businesses under the Government’s energy efficiency buildings programme.

"Membership is open to all and anyone who wants to become a member can," Paul Davies, a senior partner at PwC, which is coordinating the GDFC, told GreenWise. "Any accredited Green Deal provider will be able to join. SMEs that are wondering, 'should I get into this market or not; I don’t have a balance sheet so I can’t’ – that barrier has just been lifted."

Big players
The 16 founding members of the GDFC are mainly blue-chip companies and include names such as British Gas, Kingfisher, E.ON, EDF Energy, HSBC, Lloyds TSB and Goldman Sachs. However, Davies said the consortium wanted to operate a "very open book. Their stated objective is to be a finance enabler of the market, not a competitive barrier".

Davies claimed the GDFC would also help new entrants to the market. "We are an enabler and if you’ve got a high-end solution or marvellous new technological solution or a better kit, you’ll be better able to compete on price because underlying it is cheap finance to make it happen," he said.

Cheap loans
The GDFC is being set up to overcome the financing challenge of the Green Deal, the Government’s flagship measure to cut energy bills and carbon emissions from Britain’s homes and businesses. The Green Deal will enable homeowners and businesses to access loans for loft and cavity wall insulation, lagging and other energy efficiency measures. The Government says it will see billions of pounds lent every year and create 250,000 jobs between now and 2020. However, a rule of the scheme is that the loan repayments must never exceed the savings on the energy bills and companies and banks have been concerned they would not be able to offer cheap enough loans to make the scheme viable.

Davies said the GDFC gets around this problem because it will be big enough to access the capital markets and credit-worthy enough to borrow money at low interest rates, which it can then pass onto the borrower. "We need billions [of pounds of investment] in a year and that is beyond the capacity of even the biggest companies," he said. "[The GDFC] can quickly and regularly access the bond market and get high 'investment grade’ money". The company’s not for profit status also means it can reduce its capital costs, said Davies.

The Government is launching the Green Deal in autumn 2012 and Davies said the GDFC would be open for business in time for the launch.

Source: Greenwisebusiness.co.uk



For more Info regarding the Green Deal and the most recent news click www.green-deal.uk.com

Green Deal Finance Company formed..

An industry-led consortium investigating how to finance the best value Green Deal option for consumers has been created.

The consortium has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop the business plan for a not-for-profit organisation, The Green Deal Finance Company (TGDFC), to finance the best value Green Deal option for consumers.

The MOU signatories include British Gas, Carillion, Clifford Chance, E.ON, EDF Energy, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Insta Group, Kingfisher, Linklaters, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets, Mark Group, npower, PwC, RBC Capital Markets and SSE.





The consortium is already working closely with DECC, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and local authorities, with a view to maximising its assistance to the Green Deal market.

Over the next few months many more new associate members are expected to join the consortium, including suppliers, installers, providers, local authorities, and industry and consumer representative bodies.

The GDFC will be a national aggregator that can provide finance to all Green Deal Providers on an equal and open basis. By operating at a national level, it will minimise the operating and administration costs of Green Deal work and will quickly be able to access the cheapest sources of finance in the market at the highest possible credit rating.

Source: hvnplus.co.uk

Get more info on The Green Deal by visiting our site www.green-deal.uk.com

Green Deal politics.. Synergy At Work

Green Deal Latest..

I’m itching to get started as chief executive of the National Landlords Association.

NLA members are committed to providing good quality housing so our policy stance must reflect a clear, strategic sense of the role of the private rented sector as an integral part of the UK’s housing mix.

Given the ever diminishing ability of councils to provide accommodation and the barriers stopping many from joining the so-called ‘homeowning democracy’, I expect housing need to emerge as a major political issue.

Housing providers of all types must prepare for when that day comes, building on the synergies between tenures, rather than reducing it to a discussion of the merits of social housing versus owner-occupation.

Private rented accommodation should not be treated as something entirely separate. In helping to shape the green deal retrofit programme and support the accompanying regulatory requirement for energy efficiency in the private rented sector, the NLA is showing what can be achieved if there is a true understanding in government of the impact of change and its consequences across all tenures.

 In a climate of cuts and reform, we jointly need to tackle the false assumptions and flawed analysis that underpin the changes to local housing allowance, or the misuse of Article 4 directions - used by councils to deny planning permission - which will restrict shared housing. Where is the benefit in setting private landlords apart at a time when we should all be seeking solutions to the housing crisis?

The private rented sector is not a housing problem; it’s a vital part of the solution

Source: Insidehousing.co.uk

Get more info on The Green Deal why not click through to our site www.green-deal.uk.com

EPCs too hot to handle for landlords

More than a third (35%) of UK landlords are unaware of the energy performance of their properties, according to the latest research from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).

More than one in six landlords (17%) believed that their properties fell into the minimum category of energy efficient performance, the F & G Band of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

From 2018 under the Government's Green Deal, the rental of properties performing to this level will be banned through the minimum efficiency standard.

ARLA believes that with the large influx of consumers using the PRS as an alternative to buying, landlords need assistance from the Government to achieve minimum standards.

Along with other bodies ARLA has called for the scope and value of the Landlords Energy Savings Allowance (Lesa) should be extended

Ian Potter, operations manager of ARLA, said: "The clock is ticking for the PRS to improve its environmental performance but the investment just isn't there to ensure that this change takes place in the Government's timeframe.

"ARLA has campaigned for the Government to incentivise - through tax relief - the improvement of rental properties.  Otherwise it is going to be exceedingly difficult for the majority of landlords to find the funds to improve stock."

While Green Deal will offer landlords access to funds many continue to have concerns over tenants reactions to finding that they have an extra payment to make along with their energy consumption.

"The issues of fuel poverty among too many of the UK's households has been raised again as we approach winter," explained Mr Potter. "We urge the Government to ensure that the Green Deal is an effective solution to the crisis we will face unless the energy efficiency standards in the PRS and the UK housing stock in general can be improved."

The survey of more than 1,500 landlords in June 2011 showed that the number of properties in the F & G band remained consistent with the previous quarter.

Source: easier.com






See Green Deal for more information on getting green click www.green-deal.uk.com

Energy saving Green Deal scheme comes closer..

The government has revealed more details of its Green Deal scheme to help people pay for home insulation and other energy saving measures.

How will it work?

The firms who eventually market the Green Deal will employ assessors to estimate just how much a householder can save through various insulation or heating measures.

These may include loft insulation, condensing boilers, draught proofing, solar panels and double glazing.

Once the work is assessed and agreed, the installation work will be contracted out to accredited installers.

Then the homeowners will have to start paying.

A key feature is that homeowners must be able to save more on their energy bills than they pay back.

What is the attraction for the big firms that the government hopes will market the scheme?

"Companies will see it as a marketing opportunity to sell other things," said a spokeswoman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Anne Robinson, of the price comparison website Uswitch, said: "People who have the Green Deal will be paying a lot less for their energy after a year or two."

But Richard Lloyd, of the consumers' association Which?, warned against the dangers of shoddy workmanship.

"Our latest research into cavity wall insulation uncovered inadequate inspections and poor advice," he said.

"For this scheme to be a success, Green Deal assessors need to be held to the highest standards."

Source: bbc.co.uk

Read more on 'The Green Deal Scheme' get more tips and solutions click.. www.green-deal.uk.com

Climate change policies 'held back' from optimising Green Deal

The Government is making only moderate or no progress on most of its commitments to cut carbon emissions, an influential coalition of environmental groups has said.

Efforts to tackle climate change are being held back by attempts by the Treasury and Business Department to curb ambition, according to a new study by think-tank Green Alliance in conjunction with WWF, Christian Aid, Greenpeace and RSPB.

The study, based on five months' research and discussions with more than 40 Whitehall officials and ministers, analysed 29 low-carbon commitments set out by the coalition in its programme for government last May.

It found that seven commitments had seen good progress, including the pledge to cancel a third runway at Heathrow, pushing for Europe to move towards a tougher 30% emissions target by 2020 and reducing central government carbon emissions by 10% in 12 months.

But on another six policies, the coalition is failing to deliver on its commitments.

The Government is failing to create green financial products which would allow individuals to invest in the low-carbon economy, the tax burden is not being shifted towards pollution, and ministers have not mandated a charging network for electric and hybrid cars.

The remaining 16 policies have seen only moderate progress, either due to delay or poor policy design - or both.

Matthew Spencer, director of Green Alliance, said: "The Government has taken some good decisions in tough economic circumstances, but it is hobbled by a lack of cross-government support for the coalition programme. It will miss more opportunities to get economic and political benefit from its policies without more public leadership from the Prime Minister and greater accountability across Whitehall."

A Department of Energy and Climate Change spokesman said: "The Government stands by its record on green policies over the last year to deliver the low carbon economy, with progress on a whole host of areas and a lot more on the way: We are determined to make the UK the destination of choice for global low carbon investment."

He said achievements included a White Paper on energy market reform to boost investment for low carbon electricity generation and a road map on renewable energy, while legislation is going through Parliament to introduce the green deal.

Source: Chesterchronicle.com

To read more on The Green Deal see our site or Click www.green-deal.uk.com

Green deal becomes a better deal for consumers..

..Home assessments will be impartial

An amendment tabled on the government's Energy Bill today will, if passed, mean that Green Deal home assessments must be done by independent assessors.

Which? has been calling for this since the Green Deal was first discussed. It is crucial that assessments are impartial if consumers are to be confident that they are being sold the right energy efficiency measures.

Josh Green, advocacy officer at Which?, said: 'It's great that there is now a stated requirement for energy assessors to be impartial.'


 Which? is working with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to make sure that the spirit of this amendment is carried through to the Green Deal codes of practice.
What is the Green Deal?

The Green Deal is a scheme being drawn up by DECC that will allow consumers to take out long-term finance to pay for home energy efficiency measures.

Consumers interested in these measures can have an energy expert visit and assess their home and make recommendations for improvements.

The amendment to the Energy Bill makes it clear that these assessors should be impartial, so that they are not prejudiced to recommend certain products over others.
The Green Deal in practice

There is still a way to go to make sure that the Green Deal offers a great deal for consumers. Anyone taking on the Green Deal will be signing up to a complex financial product, and Which? wants to make sure they're getting all the right information.

We'd also like reassurance that the government has considered how consumer problems can be solved if, and when, things go wrong.

Josh Green, said: 'We'd now like to see even more robust protections for consumers including an ombudsman with the power to take action against rogue companies and provisions to get redress for consumers if something goes wrong.'

Source: which.co.uk

To find out more regarding The Green Deal see our site click www.green-deal.uk.com

Landlords ready to embrace Green Deal

Going green makes sense for all property owners, including those with landlord insurance

Being more energy efficient not only helps limit the extent of global warming but also saves money.

And with energy costs currently rising at an alarming rate, this makes absolute sense.
So it will come as little surprise to discover that two out of three landlords would look to make the most of the Government’s Green Deal when it is introduced.



This is the headline figure from a survey by the National Landlords Association.

The Deal, set to come into force by next year, will help out people who want to make their properties more efficient by offering them loans to do so.

These loans are then repaid through a levy on their energy bills.

The advantage for landlords taking part in the initiative is that it will help tenants to reduce their energy bills and, possibly, increase the value of their property.

Of course, just how many landlords will take part in the scheme when it eventually gets under way remains to be seen.

Much of it is likely to depend on the actual costs of the work that is to be undertaken.

Saving energy apart, there are, of course, many ways in which landlords can save money.

Looking for the best deal on cheap landlords insurance is one way in which to achieve this.

 Source discountlandlord.co.uk




To find out more regarding the Green Deal click here www.green-deal.uk.com

Government spent £17 million testing cutting-edge Green Scheme Tech

You could retrofit a lot of houses with £17 million of taxpayers’ cash. But that was never the intention of the government’s retrofit for the future programme - it was all about innovation. Hence the majority of this substantial sum was split between just 86 projects led by social landlords. Each was allocated £150,000 and a monitoring programme, not only to test cutting-edge Green Scheme technology in a variety of property types, but also to identify the obstacles standing in the way of its widespread adoption.
 
But, nearly 18 months after the experiment was announced, and a year away from the start of the government’s flagship retrofit programme, the Green Deal, the housing sector has yet to learn some of the valuable lessons the programme has to contribute towards the UK’s ambition to cut carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

Sustainable Housing receives frequent press releases publicising the latest ‘innovative, exemplar retrofit scheme set to achieve 80 per cent carbon cuts using cutting-edge technology’. Great. But given a £150,000 spend and, in some cases, more than a year’s work, this is surely expected? And social landlords leading the retrofit revolution don’t need this gloss - they need to know where projects went awry and what best practice can be shared from these experiences so they are better placed to retrofit at scale.

This will happen eventually, but many retrofit for the future schemes have only just been completed and monitoring by the Energy Savings Trust has either not yet begun or it is too soon to see any meaningful results. In fact, this is set to continue into 2013 with the first results emerging next year, ahead of the launch of the government’s Green Deal, which funds energy efficiency measures through the reduction of future fuel bills.

We decided to speak to the architects behind the retrofits to bring some early onsite lessons to the fore. So, what are the major challenges and how can they be overcome? Here, we identify five key areas.

Source: insidehousing.co.uk

For additionalb information and news relating to the Green Deal Scheme see the following: www.green-deal.uk.com

Green Deal Fit for the future

The Autumn issue of Sustainable Housing went to press last night. It is set to be a cracker, overflowing with essential reading for anyone with an interest in all things sustainable: exclusive news on what the Energy Company Obligation will look like, an interview with the outspoken Jonathon Porritt, early lessons from the Technology Strategy Board’s Retrofit for the Future programme, a look at the eco-credentials of prefab development, and how to get tenants on board the green deal.

My production editor was flitting through and remarked: ‘the green deal has had a bit of a rough ride in this issue’. In retrospect, I suppose it has. The green deal is the common theme in nearly all the articles because it is one of the most important policy areas in housing. As a result, we have given it something of a constructive grilling. And right now, there are some major hurdles emerging to overcome.

FutureFit
The most interesting recent example of this were flagged up in Affinity Sutton’s£1.2 million FutureFit retrofit pilot results which Inside Housing exclusively revealed on Friday. The implications of these findings for the social housing sector are huge. Effectively the report shows that for social housing the green deal will fail to meet its target of reducing carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

The report identified a 26 per cent ‘carbon black hole’ in the green deal. It also flagged up a massive funding gap of around £3,000 per home between the net cost of the works and the value of the energy savings. This means that just under half of the savings in social homes will need to be subsidised and plugged by Energy Company Obligation funding – and if the green deal ‘low package’ of £6,500 was rolled out across Affinity Sutton’s 56,000 homes, would equate to a minimum funding gap of £130 million for the housing association. Ouch.

Another major problem – one that is perhaps more worrying for the government and would be green deal providers in the private sector – is the very low initial take-up rate. Just 4.8 per cent of the 800 residents approached showed initial interest. This is even worse than the findings of the Pay As You Save pilot carried out by BioRegional, B&Q and Sutton Council which saw 126 homes receive a home energy audit – yet only 67 eventually went ahead with the measures. If social landlords struggle to give away free energy efficiency works to tenants then the private sector is in for a rude awakening when it tries the same thing.

The findings from both schemes show that the government’s market-led assumption that residents will take up the green deal on the rational of potential bills savings alone may be somewhat flawed as residents appear to motivated as much by the prospect of increased warmth as they are financial benefits. That said, with massive bill hikes anticipated from energy companies, this may well change over time.

for further information please see the following link http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/ihstory.aspx?storycode=6517623

Or for further information and Green Deal News visit www.green-deal.uk.com

Green Deal to be the best for consumers

Climate Change Minister Greg Barker has set out plans to ensure the Green Deal won’t rip off consumers.

The Green Deal is the government’s flagship energy saving plan to transform the country’s homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run. From next year, people will be able to access up to £10,000 upfront to pay for energy efficiency work, repaying the costs through savings on energy bills. Similar support will be available through the Green Deal for businesses and there will be extra help for vulnerable people or those living in homes which need more work than Green Deal finance alone will stretch to.

The legal framework is currently progressing through Parliament under the Energy Bill and will be discussed at Committee stage in the House of Commons next week.
Greg Barker said:

“The Green Deal will be the biggest home improvement programme since the Second World War shifting our outdated draughty homes from the past into the future, so it’s vital people can trust it. I have heard too many cases of shoddy workmanship or dodgy technology from Government schemes in the past so from day one there will be strict rules about standards, information will be readily available and there will be a proper route for complaints.

“We’ve already started putting in place the foundations for this and I am pleased the United Kingdom Accreditation Service has been formally appointed to ensure that installers and assessors will meet the necessary standards when the Green Deal starts next year.

For more information relating to the Green Deal follow our Facebook page www.facebook.com/greendeal or visit our website www.green-deal.uk.com

Green Deal and old buildings

It’s true that old buildings present a challenge for energy efficiency improvements and care needs to be taken when installing insulation and other measures – particularly if solid wall insulation is the only option.

Nevertheless, the Green Deal scheme provides a unique and ideal opportunity for these buildings to be properly assessed in order to explore the options. It’s also an opportunity for the proposed Energy Company Obligation to work in parallel with Green Deal to provide funding for those higher cost measures that may not pass the Green Deal Golden Rule.

Despite the characteristics of old and listed buildings, and the care needed when assessing appropriate measures, it is important that the entire building stock throughout the UK is considered within the scope of Green Deal if we are to make serious progress towards our national carbon saving targets.

For more information see our website @ www.green-deal.uk.com or follow us on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/gresendeal 

Green deal Heating Scheme For Social Housing...

DECC Launches £3m 'Green' Heating Scheme For Social Housing Tenants 

A £3 million scheme has been launched to help install green heating technologies in the homes of social housing tenants. Heating equipment including biomass boilers, solar hot water panels and heat pumps will be available under the new scheme, but bio heating oil is ineligible for inclusion within the scheme.

Registered Providers of social housing, such as local authorities and social housing associations, will be able to bid for a share of the £3 million, part of the £15 million Renewable Heat Premium Payment budget, to make home heating improvements to tenants' homes.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said, "Improving and greening Britain's homes must make strong financial sense if we are to provide a real sustainable alternative to expensive old heating systems. If people choose to go green, they want to see real savings.

"This new programme is directly targeted at many of the people who will be struggling to pay their heating bills next winter. It will drive the take up of new heating technologies in social housing and help slash their dependence on big energy companies and expensive tariffs.

"In the face of rising gas and electricity bills, the Premium Payment scheme is a valuable way for people to get involved in energy generation at a local level, insulating them from volatile fossil fuel costs and ensuring homes are heated in a greener, more sustainable way.

"The Renewable Heat Incentive for householders will be up and running next year making it even more attractive to get involved."???

Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust said, "The only way to tackle the energy efficiency of our housing stock is to make it possible for everyone in our society to take action, and low carbon heating systems are a major part of this. The Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme goes a step further in bringing these technologies to more households."

David Orr, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation said, "The National Housing Federation welcomes this specific allocation of £3 million from the Renewable Heat Premium Payment budget to assist social housing providers, such as housing associations to increase their use of renewable heating technologies and so to reduce emissions."

From today, bids are invited for funds of up to around £175,000 per housing provider to support proposals which should in total finance at least 17 social housing projects. The deadline for bids is 15th of September. The scheme will be managed by the Energy Saving Trust.

The bids will be evaluated by a panel of experts on criteria including value for money, the number of individual eco-heaters installed, the opportunity for learning and the number of homes not supplied by mains gas. Successful applicants will be informed in early October and can therefore start installing renewable heat equipment as soon as they receive confirmation of their winning bid.

Source oilfiredup.com

For more information in the Green Deal please see www.green-deal.uk.com

British Gas launches its own 'green deal'

British Gas launches its own 'green deal'

British Gas has geared up its services business in a bid to take on retailers backed by rival energy suppliers.

The company has done a deal with Barclaes bank, which will offer customers loans at 6.9 per cent for energy efficiency measures such as insulation and boilers. Customers pay off the loan over five, ten or fifteen years, and the rate will not increase if they switch supplier. British Gas said the rate was "subsidieed" but not part of its supplier obligations.

To qualify for the 6.9 per cent rate, the measures must be recommended by British Gas sales staff and meet the "golden rule" - they must save more than they cost over the payback period.

Householders can also borrow money to install microgeneraen tariff (FIT) return of about 10 per cent. FIes do not currently contribute to the golden rule, so customers will have to pay a larger deposit. British Gas is lobbying government to change this.

British Gas said: "We can be sure of service because we have everything in house." It said other companies used contractors. Marks & Spencer partners with Scottish and Southern Energy for its home energy offering.
Consumer groups gave the move a cautious welcome. Consumer Focus said it would be "interesting to see how consumers respond to paying according to how much they save". But it added that British Gas sales­people should not "cherry-pick specific measures such as solar panels because they give a better rate of return".

Which? said "early movers must be certain that customers have the protection they need".

by Brendan Coyneetility Week

Green Deal apprenticeship scheme gets go ahead

Source clickgreen.org.uk

At least 1,000 Green Deal apprentices could receive Government funding towards their training, as part of plans to insulate the UK’s homes and businesses against rising energy prices and reduce carbon emissions.

Funding for the apprenticeships is part of a package of measures announced by the Government today to create a skilled workforce for its flagship Green Deal programme.

Today’s announcement, made during a visit by the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne to B&Q’s flagship energy saving store in Sutton, has received the backing of leading companies including B&Q, Carillion, E.ON, British Gas and InstaGroup.

The Deputy Prime Minister said: “We want to be the greenest government ever. We will reshape the economy, change the way we power our transport, heat our homes, and generate our electricity. We must put the development of the green economy at the centre of our ambitions to rebalance the economy.

“The Green Deal is about the future – and it is important we ensure that future generations have the skills they need to take advantage of the opportunities of the green economy. These apprenticeships are a perfect example of how government and business can work together towards a low carbon future.”

Business Secretary Vince Cable added: “Teaching practical skills is as essential to growing the green economy as complex scientific research. Without them we will be unable to take full advantage of the huge potential for economic growth the green economy offers.

“Apprenticeships offer the perfect training for creating the skilled workforce we need – providing the practical on the job training aligned to employers’ needs. Green Deal apprenticeships will play a critical role in its success.”

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said: “The new green economy is going to support jobs, growth and help defend Britain from high oil prices.

“The Green Deal is a great opportunity to seal Britain’s draughty buildings. To succeed we’ll need a big injection of skills and investment which is why today’s announcement is important.

“The Green Deal is likely to support 100,000 jobs by 2015 and up to 250,000 when it reaches its peak and will be great news for local economies with local firms encouraged to get involved in this new exciting industry.”

Measures to develop the skilled workforce needed include:

* Department for Business and Department for Education will provide sufficient funding to match employer demand to train at least 1000 Green Deal apprentices aged 16 and over

* Employers and Sector Skills Councils (SummitSkills, Asset Skills & ConstructionSkills) will design new apprenticeship frameworks and revise existing ones, for workers to be trained or re-trained with the skills that this growth sector will require

* DECC will work with the sector to set out new standards for green deal installers and will work with employers to encourage them to take on new trainees and up-skill their existing staff

* In addition, DECC will also offer concessions on the Green Deal installer registration fees for those organisations which take on young people

This package of measures will help apprentices become experts in a range of areas including cavity and solid wall insulation, new energy efficient heating systems and also learn about new green technologies.

Welcoming today's announcement, Euan Sutherland, CEO B&Q and Kingfisher UK, said: “B&Q is delighted to support a programme that encourages Green Deal employment opportunities. As the first retailer to introduce a City & Guilds qualification for retail skills selling eco products last year, a green apprenticeship programme is a great next step towards creating a greener work force able to advise and help more home owners access energy efficiency measures to green up their homes.”

And Phil Bentley, Managing Director of British Gas, added: “British Gas has the biggest apprenticeship programme in the energy sector and we look forward to playing a leading role in the Green Deal.

“In the last 18 months, British Gas created 1000 new green collar jobs and we’re planning to recruit almost 2000 more this year."

Carillion Chief Executive, John McDonough, said: “We expect The Green Deal to create major new opportunities in the energy services market. Through Carillion’s proposed acquisition of Eaga plc, we aim to create the UK’s largest independent energy services provider, capable of playing a leading role in helping to deliver the Government’s Green Deal objectives.

“As a leading private sector provider of apprenticeship training services, we train over 2000 apprentices every year in our national network of 17 training centres. Carillion will therefore be looking to use its experience and resources to train the apprentices needed to support the delivery of The Green Deal. ”

Managing Director of InstaGroup, Robin Davies said: “Green Deal Apprenticeships represent a great opportunity for young people to work towards a truly sustainable career in the new Green market place.”

Don Leiper, Director, New Business, E.ON Energy Solutions, said: “Making sure that we have the right skills available is going to be vital to delivering the energy efficiency measures that the country’s homes need. We’ve already invested heavily in our own facilities to train our teams, alongside local people, in the communities where we’re installing energy efficiency measures and we’re also taking a lead in developing the right qualifications for the low carbon energy sector. It’s therefore great news that the Government is giving its own backing to investment in green skills.”

The Government is already working with a number of councils to explore how they can develop their role in the Green Deal – from supporting whole community refurbishment and training of local people, to creating and focussing local demand to encourage investment. Greater Manchester in particular will be working closely with social landlords to promote greater energy efficiency while also developing local skills.

Cllr Dave Goddard, Chair of the Greater Manchester Environment Commission said: “This apprenticeship scheme will kick start the capacity that local areas need to deliver the Green Deal to homes and businesses. It will capitalise on the groundbreaking work and unique partnerships already in place between businesses, colleges and the public sector across Greater Manchester by helping them deliver on the local jobs and growth potential of a low carbon economy."

Cllr Paul Tilsley, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, whose portfolio covers sustainability, added: "Birmingham is committed to cutting CO2 emissions by 60% by 2026. The Government's Green Deal working in partnership with local councils will ensure that we not only save energy but also create local jobs and apprenticeships through the procurement process.

“Green Deal will provide cities like Birmingham with a huge investment and job creation opportunity as we develop the goods and services required to transform our inefficient homes and buildings into cheap to run, low carbon buildings of the future."
This scheme has also received the backing of the Princes Trust, who believe that this is a great opportunity for young people.

Ginny Lunn, Director of Policy & Development at youth charity The Prince’s Trust, said: “Many young people are passionate about the environment and the green economy is, potentially, a real growth sector. The Prince’s Trust welcome initiatives that enable unemployed young people to gain apprenticeships and sustainable jobs.

Become a friend of our facebook page @ http://www.facebook.com/greendeal

The Green Deal Update - Whispers from Whitehall

Green Deal Update

It’s barely 2 months since the Green Deal was introduced to Parliament as a provision within the Energy Bill and it’s still at least 18 months before the first formal Green Deal schemes are available to householders. And yet, interest in Green Deal is growing dramatically, speculation on the detail is rife, and the demand for information on the energy company obligation and how to get involved, particularly from Local Authorities and Housing Providers is increasing.

Climate Energy is also playing it’s part in shaping the emerging Green Deal scheme through face to face discussions at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), contributing to the consultation process and discussions with local authorities and key parliamentary groups.

DECC are also heavily involved in developing the policy for the new Energy Company Obligation (ECO) which will take over from the existing CERT obligation on energy companies when it expires in December 2012. It is DECC’s intention that ECO will focus on providing energy efficiency benefits to vulnerable households and ‘hard to treat’ properties and in that way will support and compliment the Green Deal scheme.

Also to support and run alongside the Green Deal, the Warm Home Discount Scheme is in it’s final stages of development and approval. Through the Warm Home Discount Scheme, over 2 million households will be eligible to get a £130 discount off their electricity bill in the first two years, £135 in the third year and £140 in year four.

The ‘Affirmation Regulations’ are yet to be debated by both Houses of Parliament and signed by Ministers but it is anticipated that the scheme will come into force in April this year. 

Over the coming weeks and months, Climate Energy will be holding a number of workshops to discuss the detail of Green Deal, ECO and the Warm Home Discount scheme – watch out for dates and get in touch if you are interesting in finding out more.

For further and Green Deal News information find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/greendeal