I thank the noble Baroness for her support. I shall try to answer her questions, but if I miss any, I will go back, read Hansard and write to her. She asked whether we would meet our renewables targets. We have managed to achieve 4% of total energy from renewables in 2011-12, compared to our interim target of 4.04%, so it is within the margin of error. We remain resolute that we will work towards even more ambitious renewables targets—I think that both the noble Baroness and I are sighted on achieving that ambition.
The noble Baroness also raised a point about underspend. In order to meet our targets, we will require growth in a broad range of renewable heating technologies, and we recognise that some technologies will need appropriate financial support through the non-domestic RHI and some technologies have lower than expected deployment. That is why we had to review the tariffs last year. In December, we published plans to increase tariff levels and introduce new technologies to the scheme. We will shortly lay regulations to bring those into force. I hope that, eventually, it will balance itself out. Like the noble Baroness, we do not want unnecessary underspend, but we want to ensure that it is being spent to achieve a more tangible outcome.
The noble Baroness also asked about the take-up. At the end of February 2014, 19,640 vouchers had been issued under the RHPP, of which 13,325 have been redeemed.
I absolutely agree with the noble Baroness that we do not want perverse incentives, so the scheme has robust enforcement mechanisms, including when a property is rented. Sanctions will include suspending payments and recovering RHI payments if a participant does not meet their obligations under the scheme. I thought that I had covered that in my opening remarks, but I hope that I have now clarified the position. Before responding to what more we can do to incentivise biofuels, I am more than happy for the noble Baroness to meet officials to go at it in a more detailed way than the brief explanation that I am about to give. They are not eligible for the domestic RHI partially because we do not believe that renewable solutions have a sufficient role in the transformation of the domestic heating sector to subsidise them through the RHI. We are keen to see the replacement of fossil fuel systems with wholly renewable domestic heating solutions to maximise both our renewable heat generation and carbon savings. That is a debate and discussion for another time, and perhaps looking at the expression of the noble Baroness, it is better that we take this away.
The noble Baroness also asked about the gaming of the system. Participants will be required to declare annually that they are complying with the eligibility criteria of the scheme. If their circumstances have changed and they are living in the property for less than 183 days per year they will be required to install meters to measure their heat use. The noble Baroness touched on the training for Green Deal assessors. MCS installers are training to be Green Deal assessors and creating partnerships to ensure a joined-up service. I agree with the noble Baroness that we have a lot of
very good programmes in place, and it would be far better if they were much more integrated. While the noble Baroness may see the Green Deal as not being as successful as it should be, I reiterate that it is a 20-year programme. People have taken out green deals not using the Green Deal finance plan; they have used other means. On those we cannot go back and measure, but we know that half a million have been undertaken. Of the people surveyed, more than 80% said that they were very happy to have had that measurement done in their homes.
We have to take it in context; we do not want short, quick fixes for what is a deeply embedded problem in our property market. I agree with the noble Baroness that the process may have been too complicated, and the Government have tried to simplify it by listening to the installers, assessors and consumers. The regime has been simplified by making sure that there is certainty in the system for both industry and consumers by being able to signpost consumers for a more informed journey. We have taken all those things on board and introduced them, but it is far too early to say that the Green Deal is not working. We have to look at the measures that are working alongside others, so the narrative needs to be much more integrated, with the smart meter programme, RHI and the Green Deal. We need to congratulate ourselves as a country on being a global leader on energy efficiency measures. We should never underrate the perception out there. By talking down the slowness of programmes because they have not achieved their aims as quickly as anticipated, we undermine the very committed, dedicated small businesses that are involved in the Green Deal.
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