Clean Energy Cashback - The Reaction

Ed Miliband, Energy and Climate Change Secretary

"The guarantee of getting an income on top of saving on energy bills will be an incentive to householders and communities wanting to make the move to low carbon living. The feed-in tariff will change the way householders and communities think about their future energy needs, making the payback for investment far shorter than in the past. It will also change the outlook for a range of industries, in particular those in the business of producing and installing small scale low carbon technology."

Maria McCaffery, Chief Executive, British Wind Energy Association

"The feed-in tariff has encouraged substantial renewable energy deployment across Europe and we are certain that it will have the same effect in Britain. In time, it will significantly increase the proportion of electricity generated by all small renewable energy devices, while fostering self reliance and clearly establishing the link between generation and consumption of electricity."

Alex Murley, Head of Small Systems, British Wind Energy Association

“Today's announcement on feed in tariffs is a historic day for UK citizens, the UK energy sector, and anyone interested in reducing their energy bills. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has unveiled a tremendous policy agenda that will stimulate UK small scale wind manufacturing, create thousands of UK jobs, and transform national attitudes towards energy generation and use.

"To expedite this green energy bonanza we now need the introduction of Permitted Development Orders, to ensure that installing your own turbine is a routine and streamlined process."

Johnnie Andringa, Managing Director, Gaia Wind

"The Feed In Tariff is not just a new regulation but a framework onto which a new market will develop for agricultural and small commercial renewable energy products. It allows customers to invest in financially sensible and long lasting renewable energy products as well as allowing new companies to build sustainable businesses that deliver benefits for the economy which also increases the UK’s energy independency and of course improves the environment. The clever bit of the FIT is that it promotes those products that perform well; the more clean energy a product produces, the stronger the incentive!"

Jeremy Leggett, Executive Chairman, Solarcentury

"Home energy generation and associated jobs have been given a huge boost today. The Government's financial incentives for homes, communities and businesses to generate clean electricity marks the start of a solar revolution in the UK. For the UK to reach its carbon reduction targets, people have to be given the opportunity to generate their electricity in a rewarding and accessible way, this makes it possible."

Graham Meeks, Director, Combined Heat and Power Association

"Support under the Feed-In Tariff is vital in the early stages of commercialisation for microCHP, and today's announcement is a step in the right direction. It will help secure the UK's world-leading position in this exciting low-carbon technology, whilst giving householders a cost-effective choice in cutting their carbon footprint.

"Whilst we welcome the support given to individual householders, we cannot understand why the Government has not taken the opportunity to extend support under the scheme to communities and small businesses. MiniCHP offers these consumers a practical and low-cost approach to saving energy that is of real benefit to many in these difficult economic times. We are therefore urging Government to urgently reconsider this policy U-turn and take up the powers available to them in the Energy Act."

Dave Timms, Green Homes Campaigner, Friends of the Earth

"The introduction of cash incentives to boost small scale green electricity generation is welcome - however, Ministers have been far too timid with a policy that could make a significant contribution to cutting emissions and boosting energy security. Installing renewable technologies will now be a good investment for many homes - but farmers, businesses, communities and others will get little or no extra incentive to invest in clean electricity.

"There is huge public support for small-scale green energy schemes. The Government must do much more to tap into this enthusiasm and ensure that everyone plays their part in developing a safer, cleaner future."

Andrew Lee, General Manager, Sharp Solar UK

"Finally, the government has reacted to the notion that, in order to hit our green EU directive, solar power, supported by a FIT that is fit for purpose needs to be an integral part of the UK's carbon reduction package. The tariffs represent the single biggest initiative in the UK to promote the rollout of renewables and could contribute eight per cent of the UK's total energy supply by 2020.This is a technology and an incentive system that has worked successfully in Europe and we expect it to have a similar impact here. With the FIT in place, the UK PV sector is capable of delivering over 300,000 jobs so it is ideally placed to kick-start the UK’s flagging green economy in the UK."