Mineral Wool Insulation Manufacturers Association reaction to the Government's Green Deal announcement
Amber Rudd has announced that the Government will stop any future funding to the Green Deal Finance Company, in effect scrapping the Green Deal and the Government will concentrate on working with the building industry and consumer groups on a new value-for-money approach.
Sarah Kostense-Winterton. Executive Director of MIMA commented:
“The Secretary of State’s decision comes as no surprise as this policy has not delivered for UK consumers and had unintended consequences for the insulation industry including job losses.
However doing nothing is not an option. The UK has some of the lowest energy prices in Europe yet some of the highest bills and our homes are leaking huge amounts of energy needlessly.
MIMA urges the Minister to work closely alongside the industry to reform current policy shortcomings and focus must be on delivering longer term economically viable and workable solutions. Home energy efficiency measures must become an integral part of our infrastructure and be value-for-money for consumers and government. Measures to engage consumers combined with demand drivers such as low/zero interest loans for energy efficiency improvements as successfully implemented elsewhere in Europe, will generate tax revenue for the government and provide warmer homes and lower energy bills for UK consumers.
Amber Rudd has a clear opportunity to deliver successful energy efficiency policy working alongside her colleagues at HM Treasury and the Department for Communities and Local Government. Supported by a tiny proportion of the UK’s overall infrastructure investment, this government can generate significant economic growth in all regions of the UK, double the number of jobs across the UK in the sector to 260,000, whilst also enabling them to meet challenging carbon targets and combat climate change.
This approach will enable Government to go beyond its unambitious goal of insulating a million more homes over the next five years, lifting even more UK consumers out of fuel poverty whilst improving their health and wellbeing."
