After the Green Deal launched on Monday with only two authorised providers and seven assessors, prospective Green Deal providers insist the beleaguered programme still has the potential to transform domestic energy efficiency in the UK.
Monday 1 October marked the official launch of the Green Deal, giving authorised providers, installers and advisers the green light to promote themselves to homeowners, landlords and business owners.
But the website of the Green Deal Oversight and Registration Board (ORB), set up by the Department of Energy and Climate Change to police the Green Deal, shows that so far only two providers, seven advisers and 73 installers have completed the registration process.
The launch date was also marked by fresh concerns over the implementation of the Green Deal, with consumer protection organisation TrustMark urging the government to take steps to prevent cowboy builders cashing in on “ancillary” retrofit works.
But two more prospective providers told CM they were confident of completing the Green Deal ORB’s registration process in a matter of weeks. Carillion Energy Services and Toriga/Travis Perkins were among the 22 Green Deal “pioneers” announced by DECC in April.
Siobonne Brewster, development director of Carillion Energy Services, said: “I wouldn’t dismiss why people have concerns, but we’re positive about the opportunities for driving down fuel poverty and addressing climate change. It is new and difficult and challenging, but that’s always the case when we launch something new.”
No works will be carried out under the Green Deal until 28 January at the earliest, when finance for Green Deal loans becomes available. But Brewster said Carillion would be actively gearing up in the October to January period: “We’re already looking at ways to engage with communities and affinity partners to deliver programmes that can be delivered by Green Deal and ECO [Energy Company Obligation]. Affinity partners might be local authorities, or RSLs, or household brand names [in the energy efficient product sector]. Some people will trust their local authority, some might trust a brand they know – so we’ll work through different conduits to reach as many people as possible.”
Green Deal adviser training
Meanwhile, builders’ merchant Travis Perkins plans to offer its SME customers access to Green Deal work through a tie-up with Toriga Energy, and is also offering SMEs and individuals Green Deal adviser training.
Paul Joyner, director of sustainable business solutions at Travis Perkins, said he was encouraged by government plans to guarantee loans made by the Green Deal Finance Company, and last week’s announcement of £12m in funding to launch early Green Deal projects in seven cities. “We will be looking to government for support, particularly in the early stages, but we are starting to see the purse strings being loosened,” he said.
“No one was expecting a fanfare [for this week’s launch], and I’m quite happy with the way the industry is working hard to deliver the Green Deal. I’m confident we’ll be able to write the first Green Deal plans in January.”
Joyner said that Travis Perkins had already trained 100 Green Deal assessors, with strong levels of interest from roadshows around the country. “The most sceptical people appear to be the media – every roadshow over the last three months has been oversubscribed.”
