The government's Green Deal strategy has been described as a "national movement", with this emphasis on environmental issues potentially leading to more take-up of places on renewable energy courses and other training.

Climate change minister Greg Barker made his comments at the Retrofit Salford 2011 conference, during which he stressed how committed the coalition is to improving the UK housing stock.

He said some of the fundamental aims of the policy of retrofitting homes with green devices - procedures which may need to be carried out by technicians who have completed renewable energy courses - is to make properties cheaper to run.

"We perceive the Green Deal as a fundamental game changer and it is a fundamental break with these stop-start, short-term programmes that we have seen before," said Mr Barker.

Retrofit Salford 2011 was held on January 27th and 28th and saw a host of important figures congregate to discuss the technology intended to improve the energy efficiency of houses in the UK.

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