Over a million measures have been installed through the government’s various energy efficiency schemes since the beginning of 2013, according to the latest figures released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
Between January 2013 and the end of October 2014, 1,023,000 measures have been installed through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), Cashback, the Green Deal and the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF). Despite changes to the scheme meaning that it will have its targets significantly reduced, ECO has been responsible for 97% of these measures.
When last recorded by the DECC, over 819,000 properties had installed measures through the energy efficiency initiatives. DECC has promised to complete measures in one million homes by March 2015; a target which it says it is
“on course to achieve”.
DECC’s findings also show that despite the relatively low number of Green Deal Plans in use (just over 8,000, with less than half complete and therefore ?live’), over 420,000 Green Deal Assessments (GDAs) have taken place since the scheme’s launch. Well over one million improvements have been recommended as a result of these assessments, however the majority of households are choosing not to pursue the Green Deal further.
However, in Foundations in Place, the first Annual Report for the Green Deal and ECO, the parliamentary under secretary of state for DECC, Amber Rudd, said:
“Surveys consistently report that around 80% of those who received an assessment have said they have installed at least one recommended measure, or have active plans to do so.”
The most common measure to be recommended following an assessment was to improve a property’s loft insulation, which accounted for 14% of all recommended measures and was recommended in 45% of all GDAs. However, when taken together, almost 55% of recommended improvements were for some form of insulation. It is thought this is the reason behind the separation of solid wall insulation into its own fund within the second phase of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF).
DECC also published updated figures for the first version of the GDHIF, which closed after just six weeks when it was reported that the entire œ120m fund was allocated. However, by the end of November 2014, there were over 20,600 active applications under the first GDHIF, totalling around œ111m. DECC has yet to announce the allocation of the fund’s remaining œ9m.
Ms. Rudd added that both the Green Deal and ECO will continue to undergo changes throughout 2015, with a reduction in ECO’s targets already confirmed for April.
To view DECC’s annual report on the Green Deal and ECO, click here
