CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGET (CERT) SCHEME AND MICROGENERATION

That this House notes the role played by the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and alleviating fuel poverty; welcomes the proposals to continue this scheme as the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) scheme in 2008 and the proposal to include microgeneration in the scheme in order to replace the existing grant scheme for microgeneration; notes, however, the concerns of the Micropower Council that the way in which the new CERT scheme is drafted is likely to mean that it will not assist microgeneration until 2010, thus leading to a two-year gap in funding schemes and a slump in the market and in investment; believes that this could hamper efforts to secure mass production of microgeneration products which would lead to a fall in prices and greater availability; believes that this will mean that the full potential of microgeneration in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and alleviating fuel poverty will not be realised; and urges the Government to discuss with the Micropower Council ways of redrafting the CERT scheme to overcome these problems.