Onzo

In response to plans announced by the Government today to offer consumers “green loans” to fund the installation of loft and cavity wall insulation, solar panels and other energy-saving measures, Joel Hagan, the Chief Executive of Onzo, said:

“We welcome the Government’s ambition to change fundamentally the way that people use energy in their homes. We hope that the roll-out of the Government’s plans is accompanied by an increased commitment to making available to consumers a wider range of information through a greater number of channels to engage them and help them reduce energy consumption, saving on their bills and reducing carbon emissions.

“In particular we are pleased that the Government has accepted Onzo’s argument that loans that attach to a property rather than an individual, which are already being used in America, are a key enabler.”

The green loans scheme, announced by Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, aims to overcome the financial barriers and upfront costs people face when trying to make their homes green.

With around a quarter of UK emissions coming from energy used in homes the Warm Homes, Greener Homes Strategy is aimed at cutting emissions from the UK’s homes by 29% by 2020.

The strategy will be implemented in three stages:

- To insulate 6 million homes by the end of 2011

- To have insulated all practical lofts and cavity walls by 2015

- To have offered up to 7 million eco upgrades by 2020

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. DECC Green Loans scheme