The UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) is urging the government to throw a lifeline to its beleaguered Green Deal scheme, as the latest statistics revealed there were just 33 new Green Deal plans signed last month.

The statistics, published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), showed that there were 1,754 Green Deal Plans in progress at the end of February, compared to 1,721 at the end of January. Of these, measures had only been installed in 883 homes.

UK-GBC is renewing its call for government to step in to provide greater incentives to encourage uptake. Variable Stamp Duty would nudge homeowners into taking action at the point of sale, consequential improvements would require energy efficiency work to be undertaken in building extensions and robust minimum energy standards will help to drive installations in the private rented sector.

John Alker, director of policy and communications at UK-GBC, said: “This is by far the worst month on record for take-up of the Green Deal, with fewer new plans now than at the very beginning of the scheme.

“The scheme was always going to be something of a slow burner initially, but the number of new plans is reducing to a trickle.

“Government has already had its wake-up call, it is now crunch time. It needs to step in to reduce the cost of the finance plans, strengthen and make permanent tax incentives, and make energy efficiency a pre-requisite for anyone getting an extension this summer.”