Archived press release

Government still failing to help homes fit renewables

31 March 2008

Commenting on the Government's overhaul of its Low Carbon Buildings Programme announced today, Friends of the Earth's Low Carbon Homes campaigner, Ed Matthew said:

“The potential for tackling climate change through the housing sector is enormous. And the Government should support it by helping homes to save energy and install low-carbon energy systems such as solar panels, as part of its plans for tackling global warming.

“But the Government's response continues to be woeful. The Low Carbon Buildings Programme has been an unmitigated disaster. Over the last year the grants programme has actually created a drop in the rate of renewable energy installations. You would be forgiven for thinking that the Government was actually trying to destroy the small-scale renewables industry in the UK.

“The Government must get serious about renewable energy. The LCBP should be ten times bigger, with funds of a billion pounds, providing at least 50% grants for renewable technologies for every household. And the energy Bill must be amended so that generous long-term payments are given to everyone who supplies clean, green energy to the grid.”

Background

The Government has refused to increase the grants available for households to install low carbon technologies (such as wind turbines and solar panels) in today's overhaul of its Low Carbon Buildings Programme, despite the fact that the scheme has comprehensively failed to help homes to go green.

Although the LCBP only supported 270 solar PV installations in the residential sector in 2007, ministers have refused to increase the amount of money to help householders to install small-scale, low-carbon power sources. It is however, increasing the grant available for the public sector (50% for all technologies), although no extra money will be made available.

Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to increase the amount of money available to households to fit low-carbon energy technologies, and to further encourage the take-up of micro-generation by ensuring that households receive a long-term guaranteed premium rate payment - or feed-in tariff - for all the renewable energy they sell to the National Grid. The environmental campaign group estimates that 600,000 homes need help to install renewable energy systems every year if carbon emissions are to be successfully cut by 80 percent by 2050 in the residential sector.

But the Government has also refused to introduce a feed-in tariff for homes with their own green energy sources. Ministers recently rejected cross-party attempts to amend the Energy Bill to include a financial reward for generating renewable electricity.

A feed in tariff scheme in Germany has been highly successful. German householders get a guaranteed premium price for the green energy they supply to the grid, with contracts lasting between 15 and 25 years. As a result it now has 200 times more solar power than the UK.

On Saturday the Government was attacked for attempting to undermine EU renewable energy targets.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust