By Lauren Grice
The Green Deal has been launched by the government today (January 28th) in a drive to improve the energy efficiency of homes in the UK.
Under the scheme, householders will be offered loans for the express purpose of implementing energy-saving measures, which will help to cut their power bills in the long-term.
Energy and Climate Change minister Greg Barker claimed the project would “transform” the market and put consumers in the driving seat in terms of home improvement.
“It’s a fantastic new scheme that will allow people to make their homes warmer and save energy at the same time,” he said.
Mr Barker went on to note that businesses are also set to benefit from the Green Deal and lauded its potential to create new jobs.
However, the scheme came under fire from certain parties, with the Electrical Contractors Association criticising the government for failing to promote the policy.
“The Green Deal is meant to be a flagship energy policy for the Government but while it has been high on policy statements, it has been desperately low on marketing. Most of the key target audience – the public – don’t even know it exists,” Paul Reeve, head of business policy and practice at the organisation said.
Which? magazine described the public’s reaction to the launch as “muted”, pointing to figures that indicate only nine per cent of people it surveyed were aware of it.
“We want the Government to ensure that Green Deal quotes are clear and comparable so consumers can make an informed choice and we want any signs of bad sales practices stamped out as soon as possible,” said executive director Richard Lloyd.
