The public overwhelmingly support a much more ambitious scheme to push renewable energy for homes and communities, a new poll shows today ahead of a key government announcement next week.

Government officials are putting the finishing touches to plans to boost the take-up of renewable energy in Britain - which is the lowest in Europe - through a system known as the “clean energy cashback”, or feed-in tariff.

In July last year the government unveiled the scheme which has been used successfully for years in other European countries and pays above-market rates for green electricity produced by consumers.

But the proposed tariff levels for power produced by small wind turbines, solar panels and micro hydro schemes were criticised by green campaigners as not being high enough to encourage businesses, households and communities to invest.

A YouGov survey of more than 2,000 people carried out for Friends of the Earth (FoE), the Renewable Energy Association (REA) and the Cooperative Group shows two-thirds of people think that the government’s plans are not ambitious enough, while 71% of homeowners said they would consider installing green energy systems if they were paid enough cash. The Department of Energy and Climate Change is expected to announce the tariff levels next week.

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The We Support Solar campaign has today welcomed the show of MP support for a more effective clean energy cash back scheme.

Over 150 MPs to date have signed Alan Simpson MPs motion (EDM 276). The motion expresses concern that the “tariffs proposed for the Government’s Clean Energy Cashback scheme will mean decentralised renewable electricity is anticipated to contribute just two per cent. of the UK’s electricity by 2020″ and calls for “a suitably ambitious tariff which delivers a higher return on investment.” The MPs are calling on the Government “to revise the proposed tariffs substantially to increase the level of ambition of the scheme.”

The Government’s proposed scheme published in July 2009 has been criticised by all renewable energy trade associations for being unnecessarily timid, while green NGOs such as Friends of the Earth have highlighted the minimal additional cost of a more effective scheme.

The Government has yet to publish the final details of the Clean Energy Cash Back scheme which is due to launch in April 2010. Pending that final decision, please do email your MP and ask them to sign EDM 276 via the Friends of the Earth website.