Energy Secretary unveils green deal

The Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has announced a bid to make people's homes greener and create thousands of jobs.

The green deal will allow householders to improve the energy efficiency of their property without having to fork out cash upfront.

Under the plans people will pay for the work via a charge on their energy bill. It is thought the charge will be less than the savings made by the scheme.

Huhne also revealed that the plans aim to call time on rogue traders, saying they will include measures to help people avoid falling foul of "dodgy advice".

It is hoped the scheme will create thousands of jobs in the sector.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) estimates that the number of people employed in insulation alone could soar from current levels of 27,000 to 100,000 by 2015, and up to 250,000 over the next decade.

The proposals include an assurance customers will receive accredited advice on how to make their property more energy efficient and ensure that measures such as insulation are installed by an accredited installer working for a reputable company.

Mr Huhne said that when it came to making homes warmer and cosier, Britain was a "laggard" and the green deal was about taking the hassle and upfront costs out of making houses more energy efficient.

He said: "I'm confident the green deal will catch on with the public … but I don't want people to be hoodwinked by rogue traders or receive dodgy advice."

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