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More concerns expressed re Green Deal |
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22 May 2013, 2:07 PM
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MPs have criticised the government for not setting clear objectives for its schemes to improve home energy efficiency. In a report published today on the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) the Energy and Climate Change Committee says it is ‘disappointed that the minister was not able to give us a clear idea of what success would look like’.
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The Green Deal launched at the end of January, but so far the Department of Energy and Climate Change has only published figures showing how many assessments have been carried out, not how much work has actually taken place.
MPs on the cross-party Energy and Climate Change Committee (ECCC), which scrutinises the work of the department, say it is ‘unacceptable that, three years into the life of this parliament, ministers are incapable of defining the actual goals of one of the coalition’s flagship policies’.
And according to Low Carbon Communities News, the ENDS Bulletin (which they regard as a reliable source of information) suggests that only around 100 people are paying back Green Deal loans and only three are paying through their electricity bills. This is tiny compared to the almost 19,000 homes that have had assessments, commented LCCN, who say more and better and independent advice is needed at this stage (a role for a community organisation?). Last week British Gas started offering loan packages so figures may rise. But the 7% interest rates on GD loans may put people off – many of those interested to improve their homes may front the money to get a much lower rate (e.g. from a mortgage)
Meanwhile the ECCC says it will continue to maintain a ‘watching brief’ on the Green Deal, and calls for the government to publish a range of information, including on how take up of the scheme is split between individuals and organisations acting on their behalf, such as local authorities and housing associations.
Tim Yeo, the chair of the committee and Conservative MP for South Suffolk, said: ‘Our role is to hold government to account. But it’s impossible to do this if the government itself cannot explain precisely what it is hoping to achieve through its policies.
‘At a time when gas and electricity bills are on the rise, improving the energy efficiency of our homes could not be more important. My committee therefore hopes that the Green Deal will be a success. It is only right that such a high profile policy is subject to proper scrutiny so that corrective measures can be put in place quickly if it is failing to deliver.’
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