Northern Secretary Peter Hain has announced a new £8 million (€11.71 million) scheme to encourage Northern homeowners to use "green" forms of energy, writes Gerry Moriarty, Northern Editor
Mr Hain yesterday also proposed changes to building regulations, which would make the use of renewable energy compulsory in all new buildings from 2008. The changes would make micro-generation, such as solar panels to heat hot water, solar photo voltaic (PV) panels on roofs to generate electricity or small wind turbines for houses, mandatory in under two years.
Installation of PV panels at his own home in Wales had halved his energy bills, Mr Hain said.
In announcing the new £8 million "green" scheme, Mr Hain said it would mean that existing home-owners could apply for 50 per cent grants to install renewable forms of energy. This would benefit some 4,000 households. Grants of 100 per cent are to be provided for 500 lower-income families, and the North's Housing Executive is to install 600 solar water panels in its properties.
Sinn Féin MP for West Tyrone Pat Doherty welcomed the scheme and said that he wanted to encourage as many people as possible to apply for the grants.
SDLP environment spokesman Tommy Gallagher said that the proposals were "imaginative".