Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Plumbers merchant Plumb Center has called for the Government to restore confidence to the renewables industry after the £860m Renewable Heat Incentive scheme was unexpectedly suspended.
The first phase of RHI, was put on hold on September 30 because of European Commission concerns that the large biomass tariff of 2.7p per kilowatt hour had been set too high.
The government had previously set a tariff level to achieve a 12% annual rate of return for installing renewable heat technology.
Simon Allan, Plumb Center’s director of renewables, said: “It is very disappointing. The industry needs a public statement from Government making it clear that RHI will go ahead very soon. We hope everything is ironed out by November.”
“The effect on confidence within the market is critical. Installers are investing a lot of time and money getting the correct MCS accreditation, so they have to be sure the prize isn’t going to be whisked away at the last moment and companies manufacturing these products need to be sure the market isn’t going to disappear.”
