2012 is the year of The Green Deal. It is almost upon us and, as expected, the media is awash with debate and commentary on what it will mean for the economy, the environment and, perhaps more importantly, the general public.

As someone with a commercial and genuine personal interest in energy efficiency and sustainability, I have as yet failed to find a definitive answer to the most basic of questions: ‘how will it benefit me?’

In fact, George Monbiot’s recent scathing criticism of The Green Deal as ‘a useless, middle-class subsidy’ provides more questions than answers.

At the heart of the Deal is the desire to improve the sustainability credentials of the UK by providing its housing stock with a much-needed overhaul. From insulation to energy generation, the Deal aims to provide finance measures over a long-term period that have an immediate short-term benefit. A fantastic idea, in principle. However, much of the coverage tends to focus on the less affordable, large-scale investments such as solar panel installations. For the majority of people these investments are inaccessible, unaffordable and quite simply, unthinkable.

So what is the alternative, and how can we still save energy, money and the planet?

Mirroring the apparent uncertainty around The Green Deal is the uncertainty around the future of the UK’s economy. Unemployment continues to soar, the cost of living continues to rise and the amount of money that people are willing to spend has reduced. So, whilst the Deal’s aim to provide financial savings equal to or greater than the costs attached to the energy bill work in principle, taking on a solar panel installation at £10,000 may be a step too far. Not only that but the more The Green Deal becomes associated with high-investment solutions, the more disengaged people will become when it comes to green measures.

I believe that more needs to be done to educate the general public about the accessible and low-cost investments that can have a dramatic impact on the energy usage of an average home. Retailers, merchants, energy providers and government all have a responsibility to make clear to people that energy efficiency is not reserved exclusively to those who are willing to sign long-term contracts under The Green Deal. Nor does it have to be expensive.

Saving money through reducing energy usage is readily available to those on modest incomes and who don’t want to spend vast sums of money on generating a return.

As a producer of HEATKEEPER energy saving radiator panels, we work hard to communicate how our product can deliver a 20% reduction in energy bills with a payback period of only four months. And we are not alone. There are countless producers and products that provide low-cost and sustainable solutions and that have the power to engage the population at every level of the sustainability ladder.

Things have changed since the days when a great deal of fuss was made about energy efficiency light bulbs. Whilst they undoubtedly play a key role in energy efficiency, they are the ‘entry point’ and represent just one in a huge armoury of products that are inexpensive yet can contribute to saving people money.

It seems that we are currently at a crossroads. To the left is the much publicised energy efficient light bulb, which represents the entry level to achieving a sustainable household. To the right is The Green Deal with its long-term investment plans and its association with high-end high-cost solutions. It is the space in-between, or in this case the road ahead, that needs to be debated more; the middle ground that provides tangible sustainable benefits at a cost in keeping with the current financial climate.

People no longer need to be convinced about the economical, environmental and social benefits associated with energy reduction. However the sustainability debate is only just beginning to gain traction following the setback it suffered when the recession hit in 2008. Up until that point, there was an appetite for green measures – even if they were more expensive and had a 25-year payback period.

Things are changing, but the challenges and financial pressures of day-to-day living remain the priority. If sustainability is to establish its pre-recession levels of interest then it needs to be inclusive, accessible and affordable. Whilst The Green Deal sets out to put sustainability at the top of the agenda once more, if badly handled it could be divisive and achieve the opposite of what it set out to achieve – making it a deal breaker as opposed to a deal maker.