Commenting on the release today (Thursday 27 June) on the first official statistics of take up of the Government's flagship Green Deal scheme for energy efficiency, Friends of the Earth's Warm Homes Campaigner Dave Timms said:

"Today's figures are a disaster but not unexpected – the Green Deal's potential has been absurdly overhyped by Ministers to cover the fact they didn't have a comprehensive strategy for insulating the UK’s cold, expensive to heat homes.

"Saving energy is vital for making energy bills affordable and tackling climate change, but with only four households taking up loans since the Green Deal began, the Government’s efforts are falling embarrassingly short.

"Lower interest rates, more incentives and tough regulations on landlords to improve the worst insulated rented homes would all increase the take-up of energy efficiency measures.

“The fuel poor especially have been left in the cold by recent cuts to Government energy efficiency schemes, which must be reversed.”

ENDS

Notes to editor:

1.    For today’s figures on the Green Deal visit DECC's website.