Green Homes Grant progressing ‘at snail’s pace’

It would take over ten years to meet the government’s target to issue Green Homes Grant vouchers (GHG) to 600,000 households at current rates, the Environmental Audit Committee has warned.

Junior energy minister Lord Callanan told the committee’s chair Philip Dunne MP at a meeting last Friday that 20,000 of the vouchers have been dished out to homeowners or residential landlords to help with the cost of installing energy efficient improvements.

The committee has calculated that at this rate, which works out at 156 vouchers per day since the scheme began on 30 September, it would take over a decade to meet the government’s target of using it to upgrade 600,000 home upgrades.

The minister also told Dunne that 1,300 companies are now registered with TrustMark, the government-endorsed quality scheme for GHG installers.

The scheme has been bedevilled by complaints from consumers that a shortage of accredited engineers registered with TrustMark, is preventing them from making the home upgrades the scheme is designed to enable.

Dunne said: “Issuing vouchers is continuing at snail’s pace, with only 20,000 of the 600,000 target issued four months in – at this rate it will take over ten years to fulfil the government’s expectation. Many of the builders and installers that can do the work are in limbo as a result of the time taken to approve applications, and perversely we have heard evidence some are having to lay off skilled workers as orders have been stalled pending confirmation of vouchers.

“This scheme has good potential. But it needs a radical overhaul now the scheme has been extended. It must streamline the application process by removing unnecessary bureaucracy and must make sure the supply of skills meets the demand that 600,000 vouchers, and a further boost by the Chancellor in the March Budget, would drive. By doing so, it could make large strides towards meeting other government commitments, such as installing 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028.”

Under the GHG scheme, the typical owner occupier or landlord will be able to secure up to £5,000 in grants towards the cost of installing energy efficiency and low carbon heating measures. Up to £10,000 will be available for poorer households, which includes those on benefits and universal credit.