Mark Farrar said: “From today, Green Deal will enable households to access a raft of measures to make their homes more energy efficient. But only firms and installers with the right skills and qualifications will be able to carry out the work.
“Our Construction Skills Network report, published earlier this month, showed that in 2012 there were 60,000 job losses and a 9% fall in construction output, with the situation unlikely to improve much in 2013. It is therefore vital that SMEs are able to take advantage of Green Deal, eco and other low carbon work streams where they are available.”
The Department of Energy & Climate Change suggests that with the number of measures included under the scheme, from cavity wall insulation to solar panel installation, the Green Deal could create up to 250,000 new jobs over the next decade,
Mr Farrar continued: “Only businesses with Green Deal certification will be able to work under the scheme’s banner, so SMEs wanting to carry out this work must act now to gain the certification.”
However, the Residential Property Surveyors Association (RPSA) has raised concerns over the finance mechanism. RSPA chairman Alan Milstein said: “The Green Deal is a strong concept that could significantly help homeowners and tenants to reduce their energy consumption and as a result, reduce their fuel bills too. However, as the first Green Deal finance schemes come into place, our members have voiced a number of concerns about whether a Green Deal loan is actually the most cost effective route for many consumers, while highlighting a number of risks for the wider property profession.”
Milstein said that opting for Green Deal finance may not be the best route for all homeowners.
“For many consumers, taking on a Green Deal loan may not be the most cost effective mechanism to fund any green improvements to their property and it will be important that consumers can access advice on the full range of financing mechanisms available to them. With early repayment penalties and the uncertainty surrounding how having a Green Deal loan attached to your property will impact on the future saleability of the property, for many homeowners it may be advisable to look at alternative ways to fund any energy efficiency measures, which they plan to introduce.”
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