Barker outlines the importance of the Green Deal

Published by GovToday for GovToday in Environment and also in Communities

Following last weeks announcement regarding the Green Deal from The Department of Energy and Climate Change, Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker has outlined the true potential of the Scheme in an exclusive article for Govtoday.

Speaking about last weeks announcement, Barker said:

"It’s the biggest shake-up in the history of energy efficiency. It will be more ambitious than anything that’s ever been tried before. It will reduce energy wastage and save people and business money. It will create jobs, reduce CO₂ emissions and help secure energy supplies for future generations.

 The idea is to get high street companies people already know to provide the finance for trusted and accredited advice, and installation of energy efficiency measures in homes and businesses."

With a greater emphasis being placed on the energy meter and not the homeowner, it is envisaged the Green deal will revolutionise the way energy efficiency is viewed. But, many homeowners will be worried about the appropriate accreditation when carrying out insulation work. This is one area already being addressed by Barker and his Department;

"A key element of the Bill will be to ensure customers are afforded the right level of protection under the Green Deal. Trust is important when it comes to having work done in homes, so consumer protection will be built in from the word go. There’ll be proper accreditation, a quality mark and insurance-backed warranties to prevent against rogue traders.

In parallel, we’ll also ensure that the major energy companies remain obliged to invest in energy improvements for homes across the country. This means that, for the poorest and most vulnerable, or those living in properties that are particularly hard to treat, there’ll be extra support to help people benefit from the measures that the Green Deal has to offer."

The Green deal is due to come into force in Autumn 2012- To read the exclusive article from Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker, visit Govtoday.