More than 1,800 green deal assessments lodged in first month

New figures also reveal that £26.9m worth of contracts have been awarded through ECO brokerage system

• Jessica Shankleman for BusinessGreen, part of the Guardian Environment Network
• guardian.co.uk, Thursday 14 March 2013 10.32 GMT

Installing cavity wall insulation in a house in Devon. Photograph: Paul Glendell/Alamy

Green Deal providers have carried out more than 1,800 assessments on homes since the government's flagship energy efficiency policy was officially launched earlier this year.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) this morning unveiled figures showing that 1,803 people had their properties assessed for a Green Deal package between the end of January and the end of February.

The government said it was encouraged by the early adoption rates for its flagship scheme, which allows households and businesses to undertake energy efficiency improvements at no upfront cost and then make repayments using the money saved from the resulting reduction inenergy bills.

Energy and climate change secretary Edward Davey said the scheme had got off to "an excellent start".

"We're seeing clear signs of a promising new market gathering momentum," he said. "In little more than a month, there have been 1,803 Green Deal assessments and that shows genuine interest from consumers."

"We have created the Green Deal to overhaul our inefficient housing stock and help people keep their homes warm, while also reducing their energy bills. And as the market builds and awareness of the Green Deal increases, I am confident that consumer interest will grow and grow."

However, while the figures show a relatively high level of interest in the Green Deal, no data was released on the the extent to which assessments are being converted into full Green Deal finance packages.

BusinessGreen understands there have been some complaints from households who paid to take out an assessment but found they could not get the boiler upgrades and additional improvements they had wanted under the Green Deal.

But ministers are confident that with the Green Deal offering the opportunity for improvement work at no upfront cost, large numbers of those taking out assessments will sign up to the full scheme.

The government is also offering cash-back incentives worth several hundred pounds to help drive early take up of the scheme.

But Labour this morning criticised the government for failing to provide full information on the number of households and businesses that are taking out full Green Deal packages, and reiterated their criticism of the seven per cent plus interest rates attached to Green Deal finance.

DECC also today confirmed that 77 Green Deal assessor organisations and the 619 Green Deal advisers they employ have been accredited to provide Green Deal services.

In addition, the department said that £26.9m worth of contracts had been traded through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) brokerage system, which allows companies to bid for energy efficiency improvement work funded directly by energy companies.