The sustainable building association, AECB, is warning the Government that the proposed 'Renewable Heat Incentive' is so badly designed that in some circumstances it actually pays people to install systems that burn more fossil fuel, and thereby, emit more CO2.

The AECB is responding to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) consultation on the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive, which closes on Monday.

AECB CEO Andrew Simmonds commented: "Trying to cut emissions and increase energy security by rewarding heat consumption is like trying to lose weight by eating ever more low calorie biscuits.

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"If you want to succeed the biscuits have to replace, not supplement, your over-rich diet, likewise the renewable heat has to replace, not simply add to, the fossil fuel the nation is using.

"DECC's RHI proposals, (and the Renewable Energy Strategy that lies behind them) approach the challenge of increasing energy security whilst cutting carbon emissions from a really unhelpful starting point. The narrow goal of 'increasing the percentage of renewable energy sources used for consumption' immediately sets you off in completely the wrong direction – toward increasing energy consumption.

"Although the target has been framed by Europe in terms of 'percentage of heat from renewable sources', this should not stop the UK from intelligently interpreting the target nationally, to create a better solution than the currently proposed scheme. The same scarce resources (be they money or energy) cannot be used twice.

"Spending on measures that are not cost-effective makes climate change worse, compared to what you could have achieved spending the same money effectively."

(CD/BMcC)