Government Green Deal Policy ....
Since the Green Deal, a policy to help householders make their homes more energy-efficient, began in January last year, only £4 million of the £125 million incentives the Government was offering for new boilers and extra insulation has been applied for.
A mere 1,200 homes have had measures installed, 18 months after the policy was launched. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was hoping for 10,000 in the first year alone.
It has been described as “disastrous”, “an abject failure” and “deeply disappointing” in sessions of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee in its Green Deal inquiry. Now, the DECC hopes that further cashback offers of up to £6,000 for solid-wall insulation will renew interest.
Tim Yeo MP, the committee chairman, says that although the Green Deal is a “terrific idea”, the Government should consider incentives for houses similar to reduced road tax for low-polluting cars.