Green Deal could kill insulation industry ‘overnight’
Senior figures warn Green Deal could have ‘dramatic’ effect on insulation industry
The government’s flagship Green Deal risks “killing the insulation industry overnight”, senior industry figures have warned.
John Sinfield, managing director for manufacturer Knauf in northern Europe, said the predicted collapse in loft and cavity wall insulation installations, revealed in Building last week, would also stop manufacturers investing in the UK.
Last week Building obtained figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, predicting that the volume of loft insulation installations would fall 93% under the Green Deal, with cavity wall insulation installations falling 70%.
Sinfield said: “Based on this data, you would kill the loft and cavity wall insulation industries overnight. You’ll see a lot of insulation companies shutting down […] At the moment my boss will look to invest in Germany, in France, instead of the UK, as it’s got this big cloud hanging over it.”
Michael Ankers, chief executive of the Construction Products Association, said: “This will seriously harm confidence and a lot of skills will be lost. The impact will be dramatic.”
Questioned about Building’s data on Channel 4 News this week, climate change minister Greg Barker said he believed the public would get excited about the range of home improvement available under the Green Deal: “New windows, a new front door, solid wall insulation that will put a new face on your home.”
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Readers' comments (2)
The loft and cavity wall industry is highly beneficial to reducing the nations energy needs. Ministers banging on about new front doors simply demonstrate their lack of technical understanding.
Unfortunately a similar event occued in the 1980's when the then Government stopped the loft insulation grants.
Without being too dramatic this measure will cost lives, particularly the elderly. Our Gas and Electricity suppliers are far too keen to pass on costs than to invest in efficiency.
Unfortunately this move demonstrates a dismal lack if understanding of the building industry and how domestic thermal insulation works in practice. It also leads to a suspicion that the "solid" insulation lobby has been too effective.
Why can't our civil servants be a bit more on the ball. They seem to be amateur at everything they do. And we, as taxpayers, have to pay for their incompetence.
Richard Ferry.