Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much his Department has spent on free Green Deal assessments for households to date.

£100 cashback is available for households that have a Green Deal assessment and install a measure via the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund route, however the scheme only recently launched and it is too early to give a figure on spend. Local authorities offered free Green Deal assessments from Green Deal Pioneer Places Fund and DECC estimates that 9,543 free assessments were funded through it. The Pioneer Places Fund of £10m was allocated to Local Authorities and/or consortia of Local Authorities in England to demonstrate ambitious approaches to kick starting local Green Deal activity in both the domestic and non-domestic sectors. As well as funding Green Deal assessments, activities that were supported by DECC funding included: piloting local marketing approaches, including a street by street approach to roll out, establishing a network of local Green Deal show homes, area wide events to publicise the Green Deal, working with local partners such as the local NHS to drive demand for the Green Deal and working with community and other civil society groups to deliver demand for the Green Deal.