In the absence of the government’s principle funding mechanism for improving the energy efficiency of the UK’s housing stock, which was stopped in May, Elmhurst Energy’s operations director Martyn Reed proposes a number of solutions to get things back on track.
Since the closure of Green Deal, the government has asked Dr Peter Bonfield of BRE to undertake a review and recommend a way forward via a possible successor scheme. But Elmhurst Energy believes that much of the solution already exists, in the form of 5,000 accredited energy assessor.
Its seven point plan includes:
-Making full use of the existing Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
-Simplifying the occupancy assessment
-Offering advice and an occupancy assessment without commitment
-Simplifying funding opportunities. Allocate subsidy allowances on a simple means basis and ability to pay ranging from 0-100 percent
-Offering incentives such as Council Tax rebates on more efficient properties
-Keeping energy assessors separate from finance and funding
-Removing bureaucracy around installation and allowing a post install EPC or certificate as sufficient proof that a measure has been installed