RHI to tackle fuel poverty
DECC’s head of the domestic RHI has set his sights on tackling fuel
poverty now that the landmark scheme has got off the ground.
His pledge comes amid criticism from OFTEC that the high capital
cost of renewable heating technologies has resulted in the policy
prohibiting ‘all but the wealthy few’.
Speaking at NIBE’s VIP Installer Conference in Nottingham on 10
April, Patrick Allcorn conceded that fi ghting fuel poverty had not been
an immediate objective in the scheme’s early stages, but recognised
the need to widen its appeal to all demographics.
He said: “The RHI isn’t specifi cally designed to solve fuel poverty.
That said, social landlords have the opportunity to bulk deliver and
achieve economies of scale.
“We are working with the National Housing Federation and the
Carbon Saving Alliance to look at innovative ways to bring the RHI and
fuel poverty together.
“It hasn’t been our primary focus in bringing the scheme to
launch, but it is the next step in developing the policy.”
Stephanie Clarke, policy manager at Scottish Renewables,
applauded DECC for reversing its original decision to bar social
landlords from the domestic scheme, but has appealed for the removal
of the burdensome requirement for a Green Deal Assessment on each
individual property in order to boost uptake.
She added: “As highlighted by the Scottish Federation of Housing
Associations, social landlords wishing to qualify under the RHI must
Next step: Addressing fuel poverty will soon become a focus of the
domestic RHI as the scheme continues to evolve, says DECC’s head of
scheme design Patrick Allcorn
fi rst undergo a Green Deal Assessment for each applicable household –
a signifi cant added cost.
“Social landlords, though, know their housing stock well, and are
likely to have already invested in low-cost measures where they can be
carried out.
“Glitches like these must be addressed if we are to see the scheme
making a difference to the millions of people who currently live in fuel
poverty across the UK.”
Get insider knowledge at Energy & Environment Expo
With the domestic RHI now launched, organisations need a thorough understanding of the
intricacies of the scheme in order to get the most out of it, advises Fergus Bird, group event
manager, UBM Live.
The RHI is a world-leading initiative, with massive commercial opportunities for installers.
Yet this much-delayed, much-discussed scheme still remains poorly understood by the industry at
large.
Energy & Environment Expo – a major event in the ‘green’ calendar and London’s largest
exhibition of its kind – represents an opportunity to get the full story on the RHI and other
important industry issues affecting installers. The trade show, which runs from 17–19 June 2014 at
ExCeL London, will be hosting DECC’s RHI Roadshow event, as part of its comprehensive visitor
experience.
Top-level speakers from DECC, Ofgem and MCS are lined up with fi ve hours of seminars
and debates at the RHI Roadshow stand. These seminars, coordinated by Energise, will cover
the application process for the RHI; how to establish installer readiness; metering and RHI; and a
panel discussion on how RHI will transform the way we heat.
In addition to the RHI Roadshow seminar programme, Energy & Environment Expo has a
further line-up of leading energy-sector speakers and exhibitors. Organiser UBM Live – whose
experience of running events includes EcoBuild – has commissioned extensive, independent
sector research to help shape the overall theme of the show: ‘Making Buildings Work Better’.
Martin Russell-Croucher, director of sustainability at RICS, is just one of the prominent fi gures
in the sustainability arena to speak at the event. His presentation, entitled: Measuring Carbon in
Buildings will be of interest to both installers and end-users.
Energy & Environment Expo is free to attend, giving installers the chance to source new
products, network with their peers, and hear from Europe’s leading players in the renewable
energy sector – all under one roof. www.energy-enviro-expo.com
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