NAPIT has welcomed the recent announcement from Government on the Green Homes Grant Scheme (GHGS) which is set to give over 600,000 homeowners in England up to £10,000 to install energy saving measures to help households save money on energy bills.
However, NAPIT is calling for clarity to be given on what certification scheme requirements installers will need to comply with to be able to be access the grants for their customers.
The requirement for tradespeople to sign up for TrustMark or the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) for renewable heating measures is clear, but the discussions about the scheme requirements are ongoing.
David Cowburn (pictured), Chief Operating Officer at NAPIT, comments, “It’s great to see that Government are stimulating installation work during these challenging times – however, the devil is in the detail. The current relationship between TrustMark and the PAS 2030:2017 and PAS 2030:2019 standards needs to be addressed to ensure there are not unnecessary barriers for competent tradespeople looking to enter the market. This is a fast-moving initiative, expected to launch in September and the £2bn must be spent before the end of March 2021. To meet this ambition, we need to know as early as possible the requirements that installers will need to fulfil.”
The Green Homes Grants is set to give owner occupiers and social/private landlords vouchers to install one or more of the following primary measures:
- Solid wall, under-floor, cavity wall or roof insulation
- Air source or ground source heat pumps
- Solar thermal
In addition, households can use the remainder of their voucher, up to the value of the spend on the primary measure/s, for further secondary energy saving measures:
- Double or triple glazing/secondary glazing, when replacing single glazing
- Upgrading to energy efficient doors
- Hot water tank/appliance tank thermostats/heating controls
To access the voucher, it is expected that homeowners will need to access the Simple Energy Advice (SEA) service and follow a process which will suggest appropriate home improvements and offer a list of approved TrustMark and MCS registered tradespeople.
For more information on the requirements to join NAPIT, visit www.napit.org.uk or call 0345 0330 543.
