British Property Federation questions end of Green Deal

Funding ended for Green Deal Finance Company.

Following the government’s decision to end funding to the Green Deal Finance Company, the British Property Federation (BPF) has stressed the need to ensure this decision does not prevent people from meeting the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.

The government’s decision is not a huge surprise because of the level of take-up questions about standards of installations, but the BPF thought its pay as you save model proved itself a useful tool in helping the housing stock in the UK to become more energy efficient.

This decision means that the government will work on a different approach that they believe adds value for money, working with consumer groups and the construction industry.

Energy and Climate Secretary, Amber Rudd, said that any new scheme has to make sure that the government’s aim of insulating over a million homes by 2020 is met.

She said: “We are on the side of hardworking families and businesses, which is why we cannot continue to fund the Green Deal.

“It’s now time for the building industry and consumer groups to work with us to make new policy and build a system that works.

“Together we can achieve this government’s ambition to make homes warmer and drive down bills for one million more homes by 2020 – and to do so at the best value for money taxpayers.”

However, even though the BPF acknowledges the decision to end funding, Ian Fletcher, Director of Policy (Real Estate), believes that without a similar scheme, meeting energy efficient targets is now “in jeopardy.”

He said: “It won’t come as a surprise to many to see that the government has decided to end its financing of the Green Deal Finance Company. Many will use this as an opportunity to bemoan the scheme and its failings, but of greater importance is where we go from here.

“The end of the Green Deal will impact on many other policy areas including the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) passed by the previous government which was designed to dovetail with a pay as you save energy efficiency scheme.

“We are concerned that without a functioning pay as you save scheme, the premise set out in the regulations that meeting energy efficiency targets should come at no upfront cost to the property owner is now in jeopardy.”

However, the BPF stressed that this does not spell the end of government support in helping people achieve warmer homes.

 

 

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