Rexel, a distributor of electrical installation supplies, interviewed 2,000 people across the country and found that more than half of UK adults had never heard of the initiative. That was despite nearly seven out of ten respondents expressing an interest in making energy efficiency improvements to their home and three quarters admitting concern over rising energy prices.
In addition, three quarters of respondents said they would not know where to find more information on the Green Deal if they needed to.
While consumers value greater energy efficiency in the workplace, with 48 per cent of people stating that it is important to them that their employer is eco-friendly, only 17 per cent of employers are aware that the Green Deal is also applicable to business.
Rexel said that was a missed opportunity as 70 per cent of those who were aware planned to make use of a Green Deal loan.
For businesses planning to make use of Green Deal loans, the survey found that LED lighting is the preferred choice, with 18 per cent opting for this measure, while 10 per cent plan to use the loans to install double or triple glazing and 9 per cent to improve insulation or draught proofing.
Biomass boilers and automated systems and controls are the least popular measures, with just 1 per cent of respondents opting for these technologies.
Commenting on the findings, Brian Smithers, director at Rexel UK said: “With more than nine in ten adults confessing that they have never heard of or don’t understand the Green Deal, it’s no wonder that Greg Barker MP was recently forced to admit that no assessments had been carried out and only 12 providers have signed up to the scheme to date.
“For the Green Deal to truly deliver, it’s crucial that the industry doesn’t leave the ball in the government’s court. We need to work together to educate business owners and consumers about the benefits of energy-saving measures, and the role the Green Deal can play in making these available at no upfront cost.”