The second reading of The Energy Bill took place in the House of Lords today today.

And association CEO Steve Bratt called on the Government not to allow major contractors to hog new work opportunities.

He said: “To provide a low carbon legacy, the Green Deal must allow competent smaller firms across the country to lay legitimate claim to the work it will bring.

“It would be a shame if only a handful of very large companies benefitted from this exceptional delivery opportunity. This is also important for customers, who will be afforded the best deal through competition. I hope that the peers debating the Bill today will be sensitive to this.

“Smaller contractors can benefit from the Green Deal by acting as energy assessors and installers, and by partnering with organisations that can lend customers up-front finance under the Green Deal.

“It may also be feasible to establish a consortium of contractors that could provide the up-front costs and the administration, the energy assessments, and the installation work itself.”