The Government’s Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme, launched last year in a fanfare with claims it would spearhead a new era of sustainability in the housing industry, has been abandoned already.
The Government announced over the weekend that the scheme will close to new applications on 31 March at 5pm.
The decision has been made despite the fact that the scheme was regarded as one of the cornerstones of the Prime Minister so-called Green Industrial Revolution. Only a small percentage of the original funding has been allocated and the number of successful applications is significantly below the promised levels.
But the decision has been met with widespread dismay, while critics argue the scheme was mismanaged from the outset.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “The misguided scrapping of the Green Homes Grant scheme sends entirely the wrong message to consumers and builders, and will harm the UK’s desire to be seen as a global leader in tackling climate change.
“Flaws with the scheme should have been addressed, in consultation with industry, with a commitment to training. Instead we have another example of a stop-go green initiative that undermines, rather than creates, certainly for both the public and installers.”
The scheme was designed to provide a short-term economic boost while tackling our contribution to climate change. Applications made before the end of March deadline will be honoured and any vouchers already issued may be extended upon request.
The original £500 million Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery Scheme is only helping around 50,000 households in England.
The Government has said that £300 million of funding will now be diverted from the GHG scheme and will focus on delivering energy saving upgrades and low carbon heating to homes through local authorities in England.
Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng claimed: “Upgrading the country’s homes with energy efficiency measures means we can cut emissions and save people money on their energy bills.
“This latest announcement takes our total energy efficiency spending to over £1.3 billion in the next financial year, giving installers the certainty they need to plan ahead, create new jobs and train the next generation of builders, plumbers and tradespeople.”
“The Government needs to be more ambitious in its thinking and set out a long-term plan to upgrade our existing homes to make them greener and more energy efficient,” continued Brian Berry, of the FMB. “A national retrofit strategy would address this need and allow the Government to be taken seriously as well as regain the trust of industry.
“Small, local builders who have spent thousands of pounds becoming eligible for work under the scheme rightly feel let down and angry. Without these workers on the Government’s side, we will fail to retrofit our 28 million existing homes, missing the opportunities for green growth, new jobs, and to level up.”
