Green energy grants for homes to stop in 2008
The Scotsman|Sylvia Westall|March 7, 2007
A green energy grants programme for householders will be scrapped after mid-2008 the Department of Trade and Industry said on Tuesday. A spokesman for the DTI said householders should be able to fund costs for their own wind turbines and solar panels when the current scheme ends because renewable energy devices are becoming cheaper. "Householder funding will cease in summer 2008," the spokesman told Reuters, adding that there was no plan to extend or replace the scheme after that date. The news comes against a backdrop of repeated government exhortations to the public to adopt greener lifestyles and ahead of government energy policy proposals in May that will put great emphasis on micro-generation and energy efficiency. At a European Union summit on Thursday Prime Minister Tony Blair will back a European Commission plan to oblige all 27 EU states get 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Currently Britain gets just four percent of its power from renewables like wind and waves.
A green energy grants programme for householders will be scrapped after mid-2008 the Department of Trade and Industry said on Tuesday. A spokesman for the DTI said householders should be able to fund costs for their own wind turbines and solar panels when the current scheme ends because renewable energy devices are becoming cheaper. "Householder funding will cease in summer 2008," the spokesman told Reuters, adding that there was no plan to extend or replace the scheme after that date. The news comes against a backdrop of repeated government exhortations to the public to adopt greener lifestyles and ahead of government energy policy proposals in May that will put great emphasis on micro-generation and energy efficiency. At a European Union summit on Thursday Prime Minister Tony Blair will back a European Commission plan to oblige all 27 EU states get 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Currently Britain gets just four percent of its power from renewables like wind and waves.
LONDON (Reuters) - A green energy grants programme for householders will be scrapped after mid-2008 the Department of Trade and Industry said on Tuesday.
A spokesman for the DTI said householders should be able to fund costs for their own wind turbines and solar panels when the current scheme ends because renewable energy devices are becoming cheaper.
"Householder funding will cease in summer 2008," the spokesman told Reuters, adding that there was no plan to extend or replace the scheme after that date.
The news comes against a backdrop of repeated government exhortations to the public to adopt greener lifestyles and ahead of government energy policy proposals in May that will put great emphasis on micro-generation and energy …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]LONDON (Reuters) - A green energy grants programme for householders will be scrapped after mid-2008 the Department of Trade and Industry said on Tuesday.
A spokesman for the DTI said householders should be able to fund costs for their own wind turbines and solar panels when the current scheme ends because renewable energy devices are becoming cheaper.
"Householder funding will cease in summer 2008," the spokesman told Reuters, adding that there was no plan to extend or replace the scheme after that date.
The news comes against a backdrop of repeated government exhortations to the public to adopt greener lifestyles and ahead of government energy policy proposals in May that will put great emphasis on micro-generation and energy efficiency.
At a European Union summit on Thursday Prime Minister Tony Blair will back a European Commission plan to oblige all 27 EU states get 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
Currently Britain gets just four percent of its power from renewables like wind and waves.
Experts say that very few of the available micro-generation technologies are cost effective, noting that a one kilowatt rooftop wind turbine costs 1,500 pounds but it will work at barely 10 percent efficiency in cities because of poor air flow.
However, they have been found to have a knock-on effect because their iconic image makes people more aware of their energy usage.
Friends of the Earth criticised government efforts to help people switch to cleaner energy,
"The government is failing to match public enthusiasm for the technologies," said campaigner Dave Timms. "We think that the current grants that are available are frankly embarrassing."
The scheme, which allows people to apply for money from a total budget of 12.7 million pounds, is intended to spark public interest in renewable energy the DTI said.
"This programme has always been about demonstration rather than full deployment," the DTI spokesman said.
Strong public demand for grants forced the DTI to distribute the entire budget it has allocated for households in monthly segments of 500,000 pounds rather than see the entire amount used up immediately.
This month, money ran out in 75 minutes, while in February the all grants had been allocated by midday.