Government incentive schemes reward low carbon consumers and businesses

Two carbon cutting Government incentive schemes will save businesses and consumers money on fuel bills, reduce carbon emissions and generate their own low carbon electricity.

The Government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC EES) for businesses and Feed in tariffs (FITs) for consumers will help the UK emissions reductions of at least 34 per cent on 1990 levels by 2020 through improved energy efficiency and small-scale low-carbon electricity.

The CRC EES aims to save public and private sector organisations around £1 billion per year by 2020 through cost effective energy efficiency measures that are not yet being taken up.

The scheme is expected to have delivered emissions savings of at least 4.4 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2020.

The Scheme will require large public and private sector organisations like hospitals and central government departments to improve their energy efficiency.

Revenue from the sale of emissions allowances will be recycled back to participants with those who have increased efficiency receiving more of this money.

FITs is aimed at individuals, organisations or businesses in England, Wales and Scotland who install low carbon electricity generation, which could see them paid for every unit of electricity they generate, get an extra three pence/kWh for every unit they don’t use that is exported to the grid and benefit from a reduced electricity bill where they use the electricity that they generate rather than buying all they need from the grid.

A typical 2.5kW, well sited solar PV Installation could offer yearly savings of £140 plus yearly earnings of £900.

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband, said: "Organisations and householders can play a central role in leading the move to a low carbon economy whilst saving money on their energy bills."

Further information:
DECC