More than 10,000 construction and insulation jobs could be lost if the Government cuts 'green levies' on energy bills, the UK Green Building Council is warning.
As the Government considers its review of green levies, UK GBC says that construction firms installing energy efficiency measures through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and manufacturers that make products such as solid wall insulation fear major job losses if ECO is scrapped or scaled back.
Prime Minister David Cameron has indicated his wish to 'roll back' green levies following the public debate on the cost they add to household energy bills. The Government is expected to announce its intentions in the Autumn Statement on 5 December.
The Association of the Conservation of Energy (ACE) estimate up to 33,000 people are currently employed delivering ECO and the Green Deal. This should have risen to 60,000 jobs in 2015, according to Government's own projections.
Chief executive of the UK Green Building Council, Paul King, said: 'The Prime Minister needs to realise that going after ECO in a bid to cut household energy bills could end up costing 10,000 construction and insulation jobs. That will decimate the very industry that is helping people - including some of the most vulnerable in society - reduce their bills in the long-term.'
