Saturday, December 18, 2010

Green army

The government’s Green Deal will encourage homeowners to cut carbon and create 250,000 jobs for construction workers. Sounds great, says Iain Withers - but will it work?


17 December 2010 - An ambitious plan to green UK homes was unveiled last week by the energy secretary Chris Huhne. Details of the long-awaited Green Deal were set out in the Energy Bill presented to parliament. The government hopes to create a workforce of 250,000 people to fit energy efficiency measures into properties. It is seen as a key part of the UK’s efforts to meet its target of reducing carbon emissions by 34% by 2020 and 60% by 2050.

The Green Deal aims to make existing homes more energy efficient by giving incentives to homeowners. Rather than the current system of local and national grants for specific technologies, it works by providing people with upfront finance to carry out energy efficiency measures, which customers then pay off through their energy bills. The repayment period is yet to be finalised but could be anything between five and 25 years depending on the measure. If the homeowner moves property, the charges pass to the new occupier. Green Deal financed work is expected to begin in autumn 2012.
What’s in the plan? {continued}

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