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The government has put 拢50m towards financing its flagship Green Deal scheme. The news emerged as the number of assessment under the scheme soared to 7,465 in March, the second full month of the programme鈥檚 operation.

The Green Deal Finance Company (GDFC) this week revealed that it has been backed by 拢50m of funding from government as part of its 拢244m initial funding package, which it announced last month.

The government has put 拢20m into the company and has provided a guarantee of up to 拢30m of contingency funding. The 拢20m will only be called upon once the other funding in the pot is exhausted, and the 拢30m contingency fund is only for use if defaults on Green Deal loans rise higher than expected.

The contingency funding is provided through the government鈥檚 UK Guarantee鈥檚 scheme, which aims to underwrite infrastructure projects.

Sixteen stakeholders in the company also put in funding totalling 拢69m including contractor Carillion, insulation firm InstaGroup and housing provider Gentoo.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) contributed a total of 拢25m to the 拢69m stakeholder pot, including a previously announced loan of 拢12m. A senior debt facility from the Green Investment Bank contributed 拢125m to the package, bringing the total to 拢244m.

Mark Bayley, chief executive of the GDFC, said it was now ready to offer Green Deal providers a 鈥渙ne-stop-shop to set up, finance and administer Green Deal plans鈥�.

Meanwhile, official statistics published this week revealed there had been 7,465 Green Deal assessments in March, the scheme鈥檚 second full month of operation, up from 1,729 in February.

Energy minister Greg Barker said the Green Deal market was 鈥済athering real momentum鈥�.

Richard Griffiths, policy and campaigns consultant at the UK Green 好色先生TV Council (UKGBC), said the figures were 鈥渆ncouraging鈥�.

He added: 鈥淭he real proof will be how many of these assessments are 鈥榗onverted鈥� into installations. Long-term incentives will be key to ensuring that there is continued demand for the Green Deal and not just an initial bubble.鈥�

Griffiths said UKGBC members were reporting an increased demand for retrofit work since the launch of the Green Deal in January.

The government figures also revealed 拢42m of Energy Company Obligation funding - which is used to pay for energy efficiency measures in buildings - had been spent in March, up from 拢17.4m in February.

Plus, the number of providers, installers and assessors within the scheme all grew. There are now 831 installer organisations accredited, 48 providers accredited and 108 assessor organisations accredited.