Rogue traders could capitalise on ‘inadequate’ net zero protections

Boris Johnson has been urged to close down opportunities for scammers to take advantage of plans to boost the uptake of low-carbon heat and energy efficiency measures.

In a joint letter, Citizens Advice, Which?, Aldersgate Group and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) have urged the prime minister to strengthen consumer protections in these areas.

Copied to business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng and Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley, the groups warn that “inadequate” protections mean that when installers go bust, people find it difficult to fix problems and are left with guarantees and warranties that are “useless or difficult” to enforce.

“If protections for the net-zero transition don’t keep up with the pace of change, we open the door to scammers and rogue traders,” the letter says, adding that previous energy efficiency and low-carbon schemes have been marred by mis-selling.

These include the recently cancelled Green Homes Grant scheme, where scams have emerged as the top issue.

Consumer protection is one of the key gaps the government must address in its upcoming Net Zero Strategy along with better information and greater financial support for householders making low carbon heat and energy efficiency upgrades, the letter adds.

The groups say the vast majority of people will be unable to make these changes without grants or low-cost loans and the government must bring forward specific support schemes for people who are fuel-poor, in vulnerable circumstances or less able to afford these changes.

Describing the retrofitting of 29 million homes required for the net zero transition as a “once in a generation” undertaking, the letter says: “Public trust and confidence will be crucial. Both could be easily lost if people can’t work out how to make the changes that are right for their homes, if they’re put off by horror stories of things going wrong or they can’t afford to make changes.”

Research conducted by Citizens Advice identifies the complexity involved in adapting homes for net zero and things “too often” going wrong as the two clear barriers to people carrying out such work.

Installing low-carbon heating, upgrading insulation or installing smart technologies is described as “time-consuming, confusing and stressful”, demanding huge amounts of knowledge, time and effort.

Insufficiently strong quality standards left many people struggling with damp and mould due to poorly installed insulation and damage to their homes, it says.

“While some improvements to consumer protections have been made since then, they don’t go far enough for the pace and scale of changes to homes needed for net zero.”

The pan-government Net Zero Strategy is due to be published before the COP26 climate change summit kicks off in Glasgow at the end of October.

Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said: “The public are behind the net-zero transition, but they need the right information and tools, particularly when it comes to adapting their home.

“By getting things right now, the government can give people the confidence to make changes and play their part in getting to net zero.”

Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “Short-term interventions, such as the prematurely closed Green Homes Grants Scheme, served only to undermine, rather than create, certainty for both consumers and builders

“Any policy framework must be long-term, allowing time for local building firms to complete the relevant training to retrofit homes. Homeowners need to be informed about what changes need to happen to their home to make it environmentally-friendly. We recommend each building should have a renovation passport, setting out the path to net zero. We also need a locally-led approach that is sensitive to local communities’ needs.”