Andy Buchan, Managing Director of Cotswold Efficient Energy Centre, believes the Government could learn a thing or two from Team GB.
After the excitement of the Olympics, we are now back to reality in the renewables business – focusing on the Green Deal and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). Unfortunately, our ‘greenest Government ever’ has only managed to reduce the PV tariff in their two years in office. By Olympic standards, I’d say we’re not even out of the starting blocks.
I was recently invited to a private meeting with Ed Davey (Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change). I asked him several questions about the Green Deal, RHI and the security of fuel for the UK. He stated that we had the cheapest gas in Europe. Even if that is so, it will only be for a relatively small amount of time compared with the lifetime of our planet. It appears that we need a Government that will start investing in the future on a long term basis. This Government only thinks in the short term.
We are fortunate here in the heart of the Cotswolds as most homes are off the gas grid and are heated by oil. With the uncertainty of RHI, I see the big change coming from consumers seeking alternative sources of energy when the gas prices increase. This is exactly what happened when the price of oil rose – only a few years ago oil was 20 pence a litre; now it’s a staggering 60-70 pence a litre. With crude oil not expected to drop below $100 a barrel, we foresee oil boiler installs declining in favour of something more cost effective.
To all our Olympian medal winners and competitors, we are proud of you; to our Government, I hope this time next year we can say the same of you.
[author image=”https://www.installeronline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Andy-Buchan-cutout2.jpg” ]Andy Buchan is Managing Director of Cotswold Efficient Energy Centre,which he established in 2004 to promote the uptake and installation of renewable technologies.[/author]
