Worcester criticizes Government’s RHI delays

Neil Schofield, head of government and external affairs at boiler maker Worcester Bosch, has criticised the Government for dragging its feet over the details of the Renewable Head Incentive.

He says that, thanks to these delays, the renewables revolution has stalled.

“Projects are being mothballed or shelved completely as doubts over the Government’s commitment to domestic renewables grow by the day.

“It was all so different a few short months ago. In the autumn of last year the Comprehensive Spending Review saved the Renewable Heat Incentive and put aside £860 million in Treasury funds.

“All we waited for was the detail about which technologies would be included and the tariffs. But, we have waited and waited.

“Delays to the RHI are stopping consumers, who are ready to embrace renewables, in their tracks.

Schofield says that the lack of clarity over Feed-in Tariff rates for technologies means that customers can’t calculate any return on their investment and loath to invest unless they have a clear idea what the return will be.

More worryingly for the long-term, many consumers are now beginning to doubt the Government’s commitment.

“There is now no chance that the June start for RHI will be met and we still have no clear timescale for introduction,” he says.

“In short, we can’t sell without details of tariffs, accurate timescales and a clear indication of whether, as promised, payments will be backdated to July 2009.

“We are already dealing with one market distortion, namely the Feed-in Tariff’s effect on solar thermal sales which have dropped through the floor. The last thing we need is further prolonged disruption. We need clarity and certainty (and a little continuity would not go amiss) and I would urge DECC to bring some order to the market as a matter of urgency.”