A Community Focused Approach to Green Deal and
ECO How will local communities and individual householders respond to the Green Deal? What advice and support is needed for households to understand the change over from existing schemes to the Energy Company Obligation? How will customer confusion be avoided to maximise uptake? These are just a few of the questions currently being asked by many local authorities and organisations involved in the fuel poverty and climate change agendas.
To help answer some of these key questions Durham County Council and NEA have commenced their new “Green Deal and ECO Pilot” which was officially launched at the National CAN Conference at York in March 2012. The pilot will work directly alongside local communities to learn what worked well to promote uptake and understanding of existing schemes i.e. Warm Front. This understanding will then be embedded into community based research to explore barriers and opportunities coming forth under the Governments new flagship programmes.
Using qualitative feedback the pilot will aim to understand how best to promote understanding of the new Green Deal and ECO programmes to householders leading to maximising uptake of these programmes in County Durham when they are launched. It will identify how to maximise customer confidence, understanding and engagement in the new energy efficiency programmes leading, ultimately to maximising uptake of Green Deal and ECO packages.
The pilot will conclude in 2013 with the publication of a guidance document for local authorities and partners organisations showing, from a community perspective, how to maximise understanding of the Green Deal and ECO programmes
To find out more contact David Lynch, Research Officer.
