Green Homes Grant Voucher Work to be Done by TrustMark Trades Only – Industry Response

HOME ENERGY saving improvements carried out under the Government’s new Green Homes Grant scheme must be completed by TrustMark registered businesses only.

Later this month, under the Green Homes Grant scheme, homeowners in England can apply for vouchers worth up to two thirds of the cost of hiring tradespeople.

The vouchers can be used to upgrade the energy efficiency of their home.

The maximum contribution will be £5,000, or for those on lower incomes a 100% grant up to £10,000 will be available for certain work.

Energy efficiency work

The vouchers, which will be issued from the end of September, will help pay for energy efficiency improvements, to cut energy bills and potentially save hundreds of pounds a year.

The Department for Business, Energy & Industry (BEIS) said consumers will be able use a TrustMark Registered Business from their local area to carry out energy efficient measures in and around their homes. They will be able to use the vouchers to install one or more of:

• solid wall, under-floor, cavity wall or roof insulation
• air source or ground source heat pump
• solar thermal

In addition, households can use their voucher for further energy saving measures. These include:

• double or triple glazing/secondary glazing, when replacing single glazing
• upgrading to energy efficient doors
• hot water tank/appliance tank thermostats/heating controls

The grant scheme is available until the end of March 2021.

Further details of how the scheme will work are here.

Simon Ayers, CEO of TrustMark, said, “The Green Homes Grant scheme is an important step in creating new jobs, protecting the existing and delivering low carbon housing.

“As an industry, we need to collaborate to support the initiative, ensure businesses are supported and consumers can rely on the tradespeople that carry out work in and around their homes making them fit for the future.

“The vouchers will help prime the market and allow eligible property owners to make energy efficiency improvements and save on their energy bills.”

The Green Homes Grant scheme, which Chancellor Rishi Sunak launched in his summer statement, will see £2bn invested in improving the energy efficiency of homes.

Fabric first

Simon Ayers adds, “It is important that a property is looked at holistically. We must start the delivery of a ‘whole house approach’ and looking at the ‘fabric first’ so that you address the overall efficiency of the building before looking at the heating services.

“In short, through the voucher scheme, eligible property owners will be able to use the vouchers to help pay for energy efficiency improvements. That will not only cut energy bills but will also create and support thousands of jobs whilst addressing the climate emergency the world is facing.”

Industry Response

Win for the industry

In what it regards as a win for the industry, the Solar Trade Association has welcomed solar thermal being included in the list of technologies eligible for homeowners to invest in, under the Greenm Homes Grant. They say it will provide support for installers during challenging times and contributing towards a green economic recovery.

STA Policy Manager Cam Witten said: “This is a welcome announcement and a strong endorsement of the important role solar thermal has to play in the decarbonisation of heating. The technology can help households save hundreds of pounds a year on their energy bills while also reducing their carbon footprint.”

“Going forward, we call on government to include solar PV and energy storage technologies in the Green Homes Grant scheme as well, to maximise carbon reductions and energy bill savings for households, and further accelerate the UK’s economic recovery.”

Clarity achieved

Eurocell plc, manufacturer, distributor and recycler of PVC-U windows and doors, joined other manufacturers including Safestyle, VEKA, Deceuninck and Duraflex, plus industry trade bodies, in lobbying Government for greater clarity around the scheme in July.

Commenting on the clarity achieved today, Mark Kelly, CEO at Eurocell plc, said: “We’ve been pleased to stand alongside other manufacturers and industry bodies to lobby Government for clarity over the past few weeks.

“Although it’s taken longer than we’d hoped, we now have that clarity and can start reinstating confidence to the market and convincing customers who were waiting to see if they could replace existing double with double glazing to start placing orders again.

“The government has put quality assurance at the heart of the scheme, stating that tradespeople must register for TrustMark or Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation to take part. Whilst we 100% support prioritising quality assurance and jobs being undertaken to the highest standard, we hope that any additional bureaucracy doesn’t lead to less work for smaller companies and installers.

“The weeks since the announcement was made have been a real set back to the industry, but we’re resilient and can come back stronger. Now we have the clarity and know exactly where we’re at, Eurocell and our branch network, plus fabricators and installers alike, can return quickly to servicing the needs of our customers and building the sector back up.”