Wednesday 23rd
November 2011 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local builders
could still face being squeezed out of the Green Deal market unless the
Government ensures that small local building companies have an equal
opportunity to offer Green Deal finance to their customers, warns the
Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in response to today’s launch of the
Government’s Green Deal consultation paper.
Brian Berry,
Director of External Affairs at the FMB said:
“The Green Deal offers an
enormous opportunity to transform the nation’s building stock to make it
greener and more energy efficient as well as help generate thousands of new
jobs in the building industry. It’s great news that the Government has listened
to us and recognizes that SME builders are in direct contact with householders
and are therefore well placed to advise householders on specific works that
might be appropriate under the Green Deals. However, that potential is at risk
if small building firms can only offer Green Deal finance by tying themselves
to major companies. The danger is that the large energy and utility companies
will hoover up the Green Deal market and squeeze out local builders which is
very bad news both for the building industry and local economies. “
Berry
continued:
“The
Government needs to ensure that accredited Green Deal builders have equal
access to Green Deal finance so that they can offer these new finance packages
to their customers. It is the local builder who is best placed to advise
customers on retrofit work when they are carrying out other home improvement
works and these ‘trigger points’ for Green Deal work will be lost if local
builders can’t access the Green Deal finance.“
Berry
concluded:
“The
Government needs to create a Green Deal finance delivery vehicle that local
accredited builders can access and offer to customers wanting to undertake
Green Deal work. With rising energy prices the market for retrofit work is
certainly there and is worth at least £3.5 billion every year but consumers
will need to be convinced that the Green Deal makes financial sense to them.
It’s pleasing therefore to see the proposed cash back incentive in the
consultation but a reduced rate of VAT for Green Deal approved measures is
needed in addition to boost demand and create much needed jobs in the building
industry but local building companies first need to be given the opportunity to
do the work otherwise the Green Deal will be a lost opportunity.”
