The DECC (Department of Energy and Climate Change) has released first quarter figures on the Green Deal for energy efficiency improvements. The statistics reveal that around 40,000 Green Deal Assessments have been undertaken since the scheme started. 47% of households who had received a Green Deal Advice Report following an assessment said that they were or had energy savings measures installed, 31% said they would definitely or probably install at least one measure.
The Energy Company Obligation arm of the scheme (ECO), where energy suppliers are obliged to carry out a certain amount of energy efficiency installations for those in low income properties, has seen around 82,000 ‘green’ installations. Research also shows that awareness of the Green Deal is increasing from 10% of households in November 2012 to 22% in May 2013. It is expected that up to 50 authorised finance providers will be up and running by the end of the year, massively increasing access to finance in the market which is more good news for the Green Deal.
The DECC also revealed results of a separate study on 300,000 property sales in England which suggested that making energy saving improvements equivalent to a two-rating increase on the Energy Performance Certificate scale could increase property value by 14% on average and up to 38% in some parts of England particularly the North West.
