Sprinkle a little joy all over the place

 In its 2019 manifesto, the Conservative Party pledged to spend £9.2 billion on upgrading the energy efficiency of homes, schools and hospitals. This included Social Housing.

Starting in 2022, tens of thousands of homes are to be built on derelict sites as part of a nearly £2 billion drive generously paid for by the British taxpayer through its agent, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 

There is more:

• The Decarbonisation Fund Homes of £3.8 billion over a ten year period;

• Home Upgrade Grants worth £2.5 billion over a five year period and a Public Sector

• Decarbonisation Scheme of £2.9 billion over a five year period.

The government does not have a Climate Change policy but it does waste a tonne of my money on a wide range of sloppy handouts.There is a need for a single coherent approach.

Here are some of the green gestures the Tory party has lauded as Climate Change mitigation.

On the 8 July 2020, the Chancellor announced a £2 billion Green Homes Grant, with vouchers of up to £5,000 to help homeowners upgrade their homes, and up to £10,000 available to some of the UK’s poorest families.

There is also a £1 billion programme to make public buildings, including schools and hospitals, across the UK greener and £50 million to pilot innovative approaches to retrofitting social housing at scale.

The fourth round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme which aims to secure 12GW of electricity capacity opens with £285 million a year of funding for low carbon technology.

Then there is:

1. The Warm Home Discount gives £140 each year, mainly to pensioners and people who receive certain benefits. A small amount per house but a fortune overall.

2. The Winter Fuel Payment is a payment towards your winter heating if you're aged over 66 (you get more if you're over 80).

3. If winter is particularly cold, some households can get the £25 Cold Weather Payment for each week that it’s below zero degrees.

4. Fuel Direct can help you manage your energy bills if you get Income Support, income based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or Pension Credit.

All of these projects carry with them an army of people trying to administer such schemes. So much for smaller government

Tomorrow I shall offer even more sprinkling taken from my book Climate Change House