A lack of clarity in the Green Deal has been blamed for the recent government axing.

Last month DECC said it will no longer fund the Green Deal Finance Company (GDFC) due to low take-up and concerns about industry standards, adding it wants to “protect” taxpayers.

The scheme allowed householders to make their homes more energy efficient by installing technologies such as solar panels or loft insulation. This was done through loans with no upfront cost which were repaid through energy bills.

Agamemnon Otero, CEO of Repowering London, said: “If there was support to local people and they knew they weren’t taking on loans, there would be an excellent uptake.”

He added people “didn’t really understand it and it never came across very clearly”.

Richard Twinn, Policy Advisor, UK Green Building Council went on: “The Green Deal in itself wasn’t sold particularly well.”

He said the government “hasn’t made particularly good noises about energy efficiency in general” or “the case that it’s the only permanent way to reduce energy bills”.

He added instead it focused on switching and securing other forms of energy generation.

Sophie Newburg, Energy Campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said: “This is possibly the worst time to take away renewable subsidies because actually renewables are very near to being able to stand on their own but they are not quite there yet.”

Bernard Hughes, Communications Director for GDFC, added it has left “big implications for small businesses”.

The government also announced it will scrap subsidies for onshore wind and reduce support for solar and biomass projects.

Mai Lan