9
May
2013
The GMB Trade Union pledged today to collar British Gas and Leeds City Council over a £25 million cash pile aimed at creating jobs and cutting utility bills, to make sure it isn't simply buried in bureaucracy.
Officials have set up a meeting to encourage the pair to work together to release money which is tied up in the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). Under the £1.3 billion government scheme energy companies are obliged to set aside money for insulating hard-to-treat homes and installing more energy efficient measures for the most needy.
GMB Trade Union believes upwards of £25m is potentially available to Leeds and is urging the council to agree to multi-million pound deals under ECO to help people reduce energy bills and create hundreds of jobs. Insulators estimates that 8,000 people in the industry have lost their jobs nationally over the past few months, the union highlighted.
GMB Trade Union regional secretary Tim Roache said: "It is utter madness, British Gas have tens of millions of pounds that they are desperate to spend. That money will keep our members busy and create hundreds more jobs locally. "We know that British Gas will agree to support the local supply chain and potentially create jobs in local communities. "On top of this, thousands of people in Leeds could have their homes insulated. There are many problems with the government's ECO regime but it does allow for homes that were previously deemed hard to treat and that were left un-insulated to now be insulated. "The potential benefits to households in some of our most deprived communities are massive."
He said for the move to work "we need urgent and decisive leadership" from Leeds and others. "We have a meeting coming up but the situation is desperate," added Mr Roache. "We don't want this huge opportunity to be lost in bureaucracy."
GMB Trade Union pointed to a recent multi-million pound agreement with Plymouth City Council, which has already secured funding through ECO, as an example of what could be done.
