Shadow Energy Minister welcomes green jobs in North-East
Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Greg Clark has applauded the creation of green jobs in the North-East.
Mr Clark, who is also Shadow Minister for Teesside, was on a fact-finding visit to see how green support services provider eaga was helping thousands of households cut carbon and lower fuel bills.
Headquartered in the North-East, eaga has just recruited its 1,500th employee in the region. With more than 4,500 staff in operations throughout the UK and bases in Ireland, India and Canada, eaga is building what it calls a green collar workforce for this rapidly developing sector.
Working with central and local government, energy suppliers, social housing groups and the general public, eaga installs energy efficiency solutions including insulation, central heating and clean technology such as solar heating.
Through grant-funding Schemes such as Warm Front, for example, eaga is delivering a programme which has helped almost 2 million vulnerable households in England enjoy warmer homes and more affordable heating.
In Teesside alone Warm Front has assisted almost 13,000 households since 2005, which has represented local funding in excess of £18 million.
Mr Clark said: “The challenges from climate change and maintaining a secure and sustainable energy supply are great – but if tackled well they also offer opportunities for the UK to lead a green revolution. Our homes account for more than a quarter of all carbon emissions so we must make them as energy efficient as possible. It’s important that we increase the investment in making every British home as energy-efficient as it can be, something which will save money on fuel bills, create jobs and cut our carbon emissions.”
Paul Varley, eaga Divisional Managing Director, said: “Making the switch to low and ultimately zero-carbon living is incredibly important. At the same time it provides the opportunity to create new jobs and provide the UK with better energy security.”
Through energy efficiency improvements, the annual carbon emissions from an average family home can be cut by more than a tonne and at the same time save hundreds of pounds a year on heating bills.
Notes to Editors
- eaga plc is a green support services and outsourcing company. It is also the UK’s largest residential energy efficiency provider.
- eaga was established in Newcastle in 1990 and operates across the UK and in the Republic of Ireland, India and Canada. It employs over 4,500 people.
- eaga works in partnership with central and local Government, all six major energy suppliers, local authorities, social housing providers and is increasing its share of the able-to-pay private market.
- Since its inception, eaga has made a positive difference to over 5 million disadvantaged households across the UK, by installing energy efficiency insulation and central heating.
- eaga holds the contract to deliver the £1.5 billion Warm Front programme in England, the cornerstone of government's target to eliminate fuel poverty.
- eaga was recently appointed by the BBC to deliver the Switchover Help Scheme to ensure eligible households can receive help making the switch from analogue to digital.
- eaga is committed to co-ownership and is one of only a handful of UK organisations where every employee with over a year’s service is entitled to a share in the success of the business.
- Since 2000, eaga has invested over £3 million in the independent eaga Partnership Charitable Trust which funds research into solutions to fuel poverty.