Seven cities across England will receive a share of £12m today to help them kick-start the Green Deal in their regions.

British Eco have become members of the Green Deal Finance Company which will enable the company to provide finance to customers when installing energy efficiency measures under Green Deal.

Keith Riddle, managing director at VELUX, has welcomed today’s announcement that the government will take further steps towards launching Green Deal in October but says that more work is needed to spread consumer awareness.   He said “The new £7million government loan to The Green Deal Finance Company is a first step in ensuring the Green Deal is affordable for homeowners but with more than four million UK homes residing in the lowest two grades on their Energy Performance Certificate we need to see increased investment if the scheme is to live up to its promise of ‘greening’ our buildings. The government should now seriously consider additional funding from the UK Infrastructures Guarantee Scheme.    “However, even with this increased investment, another worry is that homeowners remain in the dark about the scheme’s impending launch. Our own research reveals that a significant proportion of MPs do not understand the Green Deal and will not promote it to their constituents. Unless a top down approach is taken by government we will not succeed in addressing the UK’s carbon emissions attributable to buildings and the very real and growing issues of fuel poverty and unemployment.”

The Micropower Council has hosted a ‘Renewable Heat Stategy Session’ with its members to question aspects of the government’s current and future renewable heat policy.

Members of the CPD Foundation have been told of the importance of The Green Deal and Minimum Energy Standards in a joint session delivered by Peter Williams, Eversheds real estate property support lawyer and Ruth Gilbody, commercial director at Towcester-based environmental consultancy 4See Environmental.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has called on the government to refocus its policy on encouraging renewable energy generation in the agricultural industry.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has today published a report on green investment which includes a set of principles devised by Anglia Ruskin University designed to help mobilise investment in climate change solutions.

As DECC publishes its response to the Green Deal consultation paper, Garry Worthington, head of Green Deal at Climate Energy, said: “This response has been greatly anticipated, and we expect it to answer some of the questions surrounding the future of energy efficiency in the UK and will help us to further progress with our plans to become a Green Deal provider, as well as helping local authorities and regional organisations move ahead in terms of designing and implementing regional and local schemes.

DECC has today set out the secondary legislation that will give industry the green light to bring the Green Deal energy efficiency market into operation, alongside measures to strengthen consumer protection and reduce industry burdens and introducing a new, improved energy company obligation (ECO)

The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) has announced the first batch of certification bodies for Green Deal installers and advisors.

Travis Perkins Group has formed a strategic alliance with Toriga Energy to deliver a comprehensive Green Deal proposition for consumers and the trade.

22 organisations have met with climate minister Greg Barker to sign an agreement with government to work to become the first Green Deal providers.

A senior MP has demanded answers from Energy Ministers as support for the Green Deal appears to have started crumbling away.

Grant Thornton has issued a response to today’s announcement that the UK Green Investment Bank will be located in Edinburgh.