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Budget offers relief with extra £6m for green householders

21st March 2007

A 50% increase in funding for householders to install small scale renewables such as micro wind turbines and solar panels was announced in the Budget today.

It will take the total available under the Low Carbon Building Programme to more than £18million. At the same time the scheme is to be re-shaped to make best use of the extra funding. Proposals will be brought forward in May.

Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling said:

"With this extra £6m there is now £18m for homeowners who want to go low carbon.

"There has been exceptional demand for grants under the Low Carbon Building Programme. We are backing it. But there have been problems in meeting that unprecedented demand. We will re-structure the scheme to make it work better.

"We want many more people to be able to install low carbon technologies on their homes to help reduce damaging carbon emissions. This extra money will help us do it. Good for homeowners and the environment."

Frustratingly, while the scheme is re-structured the decision has been taken to suspend it for the April allocation. The DTI states that it's important that this final additional funding for household renewables, due to end in mid 2008, is used to best effect to bring on a microgeneration sector that can stand on its own two feet without further subsidy.

Responding to the relief offered in today’s Budget, Philip Wolfe, Chief Executive of the Renewable Energy Association, commented:

“There is clearly a strong appetite for homeowners to put microrenewables to work in their homes. The new funds announced today should be sufficient to support demand through the next fiscal year and provide the opportunity to lift the monthly funding cap. Many customers and hard-pressed businesses across the industry will welcome the prospect of a return to normality that the new funding offers.”

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