Charles Phillips, DECC deputy director
Implications of the Green Deal were at the centre of an exclusive NHIC Members Forum when Charles Phillips, the DECC’s deputy director, lead this controversial debate. He described it as ‘a genuinely stimulating session’ in which he was ‘challenged’ by a ‘reasonably helpful degree of interest’.
Charles works on the Green Deal, looking at the delivery of energy efficiency measures in households. He has particular responsibility for the obligations that Government imposes on the major energy companies to deliver insulation and other energy saving measures through programmes such as the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP), as well as the design of the future Energy Company Obligation (ECO) that will take over in late 2012 and run alongside the commercial Green Deal.
NHIC Members were, obviously, concerned about the success of the Green Deal, how is would work and how the promotion of the scheme would take place? The market was evolving where all options within the Green Deal seemed possible but there was a lot of concern about SMEs getting a fair deal!
According to Charles: “The incentive will go to local authorities with the emphasis on local employment. But we need to be competitive.”
Members were also concerned about the link between Feed-In Tariffs (FITS)and Green Deal?
Charles pointed out: “There is nothing to stop people getting renewable products as part of the Green Deal. But the rate of return on the FITs will probably not be taken into account when deciding on Green Deal finance.”
Another important question for NHIC Members what is the sort of investment that will be made per household, under the Golden Rule and ECO?
He explained; “It is a market and this cannot be estimated. We have targets for ECO but the success, together with the Green Deal, will rely on creating a new market where there is space.”
A transcript of Charles Phillips’s presentation and questions and answers is available on request.
An issue of particular concern, however, was promoting the expansion of the market? Charles said that one issue would be the ECO subsidy flowing into the Green Deal.
He suggested: “There is a risk that the Big Six will look to use it for them and not for new members who wish to be Providers. We are talking closely with members to come to an agreement.”
More information: info@nhic.org.uk