Tim Pollard, Head of Sustainability at Plumb Center, believes Green deal is starting to have an impact on the way we look at our homes.
When it comes to energy-efficiency, changing people’s minds is the real prize.
You can do all the fantastic things to a building and chuck all the renewable bling at it you want, but if people still behave in a wasteful way, we’re never going to make the change to a low-carbon economy.
That’s why the latest Green Deal figures are encouraging – specifically the amount of Green Deal Assessments.
25,138 of them were carried out in March, the highest monthly number by quite a way. And this has taken the total to 188,234 since the launch of Green Deal in January last year.
For me, this is a very positive thing. These people have had a professional come in to inspect their property and make a report listing the measures they can personally benefit from and the savings associated with that. This is a massive step forward, and the start of their education.
Rising energy prices are making people pay a lot more attention to their heating systems, but without talking to installers or other experts, how are they going to know what they can do to save money?
Essentially Green Deal Assessments are like an MOT for the home, and more people will be looking to have one because they’re a requirement for any work done under Green Deal, some ECO (Energy Company Obligation) measures and domestic RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) schemes.
We all beat ourselves up quite a bit about not being good at change, but actually when you get to the lofty age that I’ve achieved and you look back, the scale of change has been amazing.
Take recycling for example. When those bins first arrived, we all moaned, but now we do it without thinking, and it’s much better for the environment.
That’s what we need to improve energy-efficiency and, as an industry, it’s our job to give people the knowledge to make good decisions. It’s up to us, now let’s make it happen.
[author image=”https://www.installeronline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/timpheadshot.jpg” ]Tim Pollard is Head of Sustainability for Plumb and Parts Center, and believes passionately in the provision of sustainable construction solutions which are practical, effective and economic. Tim played an instrumental role in launching the Sustainable Building Center in Leamington Spa, which was opened in 2008 as the UK’s first commercial showcase for sustainable building products and construction methods, and is head of the team which is defining Plumb and Parts Center’s sustainable product offer and its commercial implementation. During his 25-year career, Tim has developed a breadth of knowledge which stretches across a wide range of products and technologies together with the implications and requirements of a sustainable supply chain. He regularly speaks at industry conferences throughout the UK and is actively involved in activities within the local community, especially involving young people. [/author]
