The CLA says ‘renewable heat welcome’ but questions delay

The CLA have expressed disappointment over elements of the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) proposals.

The Association, which has worked on the Department of Energy and Climate Change Stakeholder Group to help the Government put together the new RHI scheme, backs small-scale heat generation using renewable energy.

However, the CLA is calling for a formal guarantee of support to be made available immediately for RHI projects, instead of waiting for the proposed date of April 2011.

CLA President William Worsley said: "We warmly welcome these consultation proposals. If implemented they would transform the heat agenda for rural business and communities.

"We are far behind mainland Europe in our use of renewable heat, which could provide up to 12 percent of our national power needs, and give us the chance to bring under-managed woodland back into production.

"However, we remain disappointed that the support will not be available until 2011, and unconvinced by the suggestion that installations undertaken now would qualify for the support when it is introduced."

The rural economy experts pointed out that countryside areas are often not on the gas grid and face expensive fossil-fuel heating costs. Renewable heat can help to combat rising fuel prices as well as reduce carbon emissions.