INCA Members Prepare for Green Deal as Consultation Gets Underway

The consultation, which was launched as part of Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne’s Annual Energy Statement to Parliament on 23 November, outlines the benefits of the Green Deal including  the  ability  for  British  homes  and  businesses  to  install  energy efficiency improvements, such as external wall insulation (EWI), at no upfront cost with repayments made over time from savings on energy bills,  and  the  new  ECO  which  will  require  energy  companies  to  provide  £1.3  billion  a  year  to  enable  all consumers to benefit from the Green Deal regardless of their income or the type of house they live in.  

The Government has announced that there will be £200 million of funding to provide an ‘introductory’ offer to  consumers,  which  should  ensure  that  the  Green  Deal  hits  the  ground  running  in  October  2012  with incentives for the early adoption of Green Deal finance packages.  

The Green Deal is expected to kick start around £14 billion of private sector investment over the next ten years and support at least 65,000 insulation and construction jobs by 2015, providing a significant boost to the industry.  The Government will support 1,000 ‘green apprenticeships’ to develop the skilled workforce that  will  deliver  the  Green  Deal,  and  the  INCA  Specialist  Apprenticeship  Programme  (SAP)  in  External Wall Insulation will play a central role in increasing the size and skill base of the EWI workforce.  

INCA Chairman David Harrison welcomed the Government’s commitment to the Green Deal:  “The efforts by the Government to encourage market take up of the Green Deal will give the industry the confidence  to  invest  in  preparing  for  a  surge  in  demand  for  EWI.    The  Green  Deal  and  ECO  offer  huge business opportunities for our sector and we hope that the consultation will provide the clarity of policy that we are looking for.  INCA provides competent and reputable Specialist Contractors delivering EWI projects to the highest quality standards and we will continue to work closely with the Government to ensure that our members are at the forefront of the Green Deal.” 

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