Dods Green Deal Business Summit
In partnership with Dods Green Deal Dialogue
Velux, Land Securities & GGF
Friday 20th July 2012
13:00 until 17:00
IET Birmingham
There is a long way to go before homeowners and small businesses feel convinced by the benefits of the Green Deal, according to attendees of the Dods Green Deal Business Summit in Birmingham.
Speaking from an industry perspective, Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) deputy CEO Giles Willson questioned whether private homeowners would purchase replacement windows under the Green Deal scheme as it stands when they could probably get a better deal from a window installations company's existing offers.
Willson said this called into question the idea that GGF members would benefit from the Green Deal.
View a full write-up of the Green Deal Business Summit.
Sessions on the day included:
Welcome, opening remarks and panel debate
- Why is energy efficiency so important? The context behind the Green Deal, including the UK’s commitments to cut carbon emissions and the impact of rising electricity and fuel prices on consumers
- What is the Green Deal programme designed to achieve, and what benefits does this approach have over other methods of improving energy efficiency?
- What progress has been made on the Green Deal so far, and what remains to be done? This will cover the primary and secondary legislation and the DECC consultation process.
- What concerns have arisen as a result of consulting on the Green Deal, and what is being done to address these?
Breakout sessions
Non-domestic
- Non-domestic property has been estimated to contribute more than one-tenth of the total amount of UK carbon emissions. Given this, it is important to address the energy efficiency of the sector if the UK is to meet its challenging carbon reduction goals.
- Unlike the domestic sector, the Government is proposing to use regulation to compel private landlords to bring non-domestic property up to a defined threshold before a property can be re-let.
- Landlords have expressed concern over the interest rates to be charged on Green Deal loans, the details of the assessment process and how costs can best be passed to tenants, who will directly benefit from lower energy bills.
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There is also a feeling that non-domestic tenants do not place a high priority on energy efficiency. Furthermore, undertaking the work required to bring a property up to standard could mean the closure of premises for long periods, which would have a negative impact on tenants’ businesses, particularly in the retail sector.
- Does the assessment model strike the right balance between ensuring that consumers get the right advice and allowing assessors to turn a profit?
- To what extent will consumers prove receptive to the opportunities offered by the Green Deal, and what can the Government and industry do to ensure that as many people as possible are aware of these?
- What impact will Green Deal improvements have on the process of buying and selling a house?
- What happens if consumers find that they are spending more on loan repayments than the Green Deal is saving them on their energy bills?
- How can the interests of SMEs who may become Green Deal providers or installers be protected, given that they will not enjoy the same economies of scale as their larger competitors? DECC has said it is “committed to ensuring competition in all three customer-facing roles in the value chain”, but participants at Dods’ regional events have been sceptical.
- What role will be played by local authorities, both as landlords themselves and as co-ordinators of the Green Deal supply chain in their area?
Domestic
Final Plenary session
- The final plenary session will discuss the points raised in the breakouts and consider what more needs to be done to make the Green Deal as successful as possible.
- We will conduct a live poll of participants to get their views on the solutions put forward and their feelings about the Green Deal.
Green Deal Dialogue
