Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Group applications to the Green Deal could receive a cash-back boost under plans being considered by the Government.
Construction Newsreported exclusively yesterday that a draft discussion paper for industry is considering offering enhanced cash-back payments for group applications as it tries to drum up public interest in the flagging scheme.
The government would rather see Green Deal work done on a street-by-street basis rather than through individual properties.
The paper says DECC is “considering how the scheme might encourage group/community applications by offering a higher cash-back when a number of people sign up together.
“This is intended to encourage the development of community buying groups, which could benefit from economies of scale as well as the increased cash-back being offered.”
The cash-back is government money, being offered as a portion of the £200m incentives promised by government in its 2011 Autumn Statement.
A range of options for the proposed cash-back scheme are set out in the discussion paper, including whether the cash-back will be delivered by Green Deal providers or a yet-to be established administrator.
Industry had hoped to see incentives such as council tax rebates or stamp duty cuts funded out of the £200m, but cash-back payments are also expected to form part of the package.
