GGF reacts strongly to Government Green Deal report
The GGF reacted strongly to the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) first quarter Statistics issued yesterday by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
The report shows:
Green Deal:
• 241 Green Deal Plans are in the system as of 16 June 2013
• Four Green Deal Plans are pending
• 38,259 Green Deal assessments have taken place as of 16 June 2013
• Windows/glazing was a recommended measure in 1,668 Green Deal Assessments (only 5% of the total recommended measures)
• Of the 1,668 Green Deal Assessments that recommended windows/glazing
- 1527 Double Glazing recommendations
- 124 Secondary glazing recommendations
- 17 Triple glazing recommendations
• 5,118 cashback vouchers had been issued to 16 June. Of these, 968 cashback vouchers had been paid following installation of measures. Most of the vouchers paid to date have been for boiler replacements. No cashback vouchers have been paid for windows/glazing.
ECO:
• 81,798 installations (measures) have taken place with the support of the new Energy Company Obligation (ECO)
• 72,525 unique properties (In England and Wales) improved their energy efficiency under ECO up until 16th June 2013
• Of the 81,798 installations of measures only 37 installations were windows/glazing
On seeing the overview of the report Nigel Rees, GGF Group Chief executive commented, "The recent figures are both unsurprising and uninspiring. To show that only 37 window or glazing installations have taken place out of almost 82,000 installations under ECO in the first quarter clearly shows that ECO is not a complete solution with its very low level of funding available for replacement windows. By not replacing windows that are energy inefficient, the ECO plan is simply not addressing the issue of making homes effectively energy efficient. There's no point putting in loft insulation when the heat can escape out of old energy inefficient windows."
Greg Barker Minister for Energy and Climate Change stated that" 78 per cent of people who have received a Green Deal Advice Report, following a Green Deal assessment, said they had, were getting or would get energy saving measures installed. This too is a great sign – many people are increasingly looking to make their homes more energy efficient and keep bills down."
On the published number of Green Deal Assessment recommendations for windows and glazing, Nigel Rees commented, "In the pilot scheme for Green Deal last August in the North East, it showed that over 80% of participants wanted replacement windows under Green Deal. The recent report however shows that replacement windows and glazing are only recommended in 5% of the Green Deal assessments because of the limitations of the RdSAP software used by Assessors. One of our own GGF staff received a Green Deal assessment yet because his house was mainly double-glazed, the remaining single-glazed doors and windows were not recommended for replacement. This indicates that the measures being recommended are not always considering a whole house approach."
The report also showed that under ECO there were 3489 installations of solid wall insulation yet only 37 window or glazing installations, meaning that 98.9% of solid wall insulation installations did not upgrade windows. Giles Willson, GGF Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Technical Affairs commented, "If homes are being installed with solid wall insulation and not upgrading windows, this could result in thermal bridging and potential water ingress and could be detrimental to the building. The ECO criteria and planning has to be reviewed and amended, to ensure the interface between the solid wall insulation and fenestration products is correct"
Another real concern for the glazing industry has to be the ineffectiveness so far of the Green Deal cashback scheme for glazing. Out of a total of 968 cashback vouchers that have been paid to 16th June following installation of measures, none have been for windows/glazing.
The GGF attended the All Party Parliamentary Green Deal Group Meeting at Portcullis House earlier this week where Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and Greg Barker, Minister for Energy and Climate Change both spoke and took questions from a diverse audience of manufacturers, installers, trade associations, finance companies, energy suppliers, local housing associations, consultants and advisory bodies.
At the meeting, both Ministers were questioned about; the complexity of Green Deal, the delivery from assessment to installation as well as the consumer awareness and interest in the scheme. Many questions focused on how SMEs are not fully benefiting from Green Deal and ECO. Both Ministers accepted there were many issues but re-iterated that Green Deal was a long term (25 year) plan and that teething problems were anticipated. Mr. Davey emphasized that "the success of Green Deal was down to everyone involved and not just the Government."
Following the meeting Giles Willson commented, "For over two years we have consulted with GGF Members and raised their concerns, asking Government to address the problems with Green Deal - bureaucracy, golden rule, the software used for the assessment, the involvement of SMEs and so on. Many of these issues have still not been addressed and until they are then Green Deal and ECO will simply not work for the replacement window industry."
In addition to ongoing dialogue with DECC officials on Green Deal and energy efficiency issues, the GGF will also be attending the UK Green Building Council Conference "Green Deal – 6 months in" on 11th July in London.
To read the press statement and full report from DECC please visit the website https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climate-change
