Is the Green Deal a con or contemporary thinking?

According to the Press Association the Government has informed peers in the House of Lords that their “plans to reduce the carbon footprint of homes across the country will bring greater energy security and protect pensioners from fuel poverty.” My concern is that the “Green Deal” turns out to be somewhat of a “Texas two-step”, but lets hope it is a genuine policy that will actually work, though I still am worried it may have in part been devised to help mask/offset the massive increase in energy costs that some have predicted is just a matter of time.

The Press Association stated that the House of Lords was told that “consumers will have to pay for modifications, which include insulation and double-glazing, with the savings they would otherwise make from lower energy bills.”

Also that government proposals announced to the 2nd chamber by Energy and Climate Change Minister Lord Marland would also mean “energy companies would be obliged to reduce carbon emissions, while wind turbines would be connected to the UK’s grid.”

Furthermore the Energy Bill, which gained an unopposed second reading in the Lords, also aims to ensure sufficient gas will be available during emergencies and provides a “stable and predictable market”. To pay for the environmentally-friendly alterations costing up to £6,500, homes would be fitted with a meter detailing the energy saving as a result of the modifications, Lord Marland said.

The Press Association understands that “payments would then be taken from that saving over a period of up to 25 years to cover the cost of the insulation or double glazing.”

“The instalments would never be greater than the cost of the energy saved, removing any risk to the consumer, the minister added. When the home transferred ownership, responsibility for the instalments would transfer with it, he said.
In rented accommodation, tenants would be responsible for paying the instalments but if landlords refused to make the alterations the Government would look at legislating to force them to make improvements.”

The Government estimates the number of people working in insulation could rise from 27,000 at present to 250,000 within the next decade. Lord Marland said the Bill would “stimulate innovation, competition and the supply chain” while at the same time safe-guarding consumers if an energy company went in to insolvency. In those cases their energy would be provided for until they had been transferred to a different supplier.”

“The Green Deal will help reduce energy bills for the long term and make our houses more energy efficient,” Lord Marland said. Lets hope he is right and this is not a smoke and mirrors policy, but instead a modern workable approach to cutting carbon emissions and reducing our carbon footprint.
Tweet