The consultation, which was launched as part of Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne’s Annual Energy Statement to Parliament on 23 November, outlines the benefits of the Green Deal including the ability for British homes and businesses to install energy efficiency improvements, such as external wall insulation (EWI), at no upfront cost with repayments made over time from savings on energy bills, and the new ECO which will require energy companies to provide £1.3 billion a year to enable all consumers to benefit from the Green Deal regardless of their income or the type of house they live in.
The Government has announced that there will be £200 million of funding to provide an ‘introductory’ offer to consumers, which should ensure that the Green Deal hits the ground running in October 2012 with incentives for the early adoption of Green Deal finance 貹첹.
The Green Deal is expected to kick start around £14 billion of private sector investment over the next ten years and support at least 65,000 insulation and construction jobs by 2015, providing a significant boost to the industry. The Government will support 1,000 ‘green apprenticeships’ to develop the skilled workforce that will deliver the Green Deal, and the INCA Specialist Apprenticeship Programme (SAP) in External Wall Insulation will play a central role in increasing the size and skill base of the EWI workforce.
INCA Chairman David Harrison welcomed the Government’s commitment to the Green Deal: “The efforts by the Government to encourage market take up of the Green Deal will give the industry the confidence to invest in preparing for a surge in demand for EWI. The Green Deal and ECO offer huge business opportunities for our sector and we hope that the consultation will provide the clarity of policy that we are looking for. INCA provides competent and reputable Specialist Contractors delivering EWI projects to the highest quality standards and we will continue to work closely with the Government to ensure that our members are at the forefront of the Green Deal.”
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