News

In December 2021, the Public Accounts Committee published a report on the Green Homes Grant, detailing how it had ‘underperformed badly”, upgrading only about 47,500 homes out of the 600,000 originally envisaged and delivering a small fraction of the expected jobs.

The NIA is pleased to see that the Government has this week published its response to the report, acknowledging its shortfalls and detailing its plans for improving the design and delivery of future schemes. It is particularly promising to see that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has recognised the need for greater liaison with industry and consumers in future programme design.

The NIA remains committed to working closely and collaboratively with BEIS and will continue to share the views and considerable experience of members in supporting the design and implementation of future schemes.

Key highlights:

• BEIS accepts the implementation time was unrealistic, and has secured HMT agreement to roll committed spend for the Home Upgrade Grant into future tax years. This is important because it allows them to smooth over peaks and troughs in demand without having to hand it’s in year cash back unspent and the end of the financial year.
• They accept the scheme was overly complex, which they blame on being forced to roll it out so quickly (having no rollover flexibility). They also accept they need to ensure more meaningful engagement with industry and consumers in future programme design.
• They will introduce a more rigorous assessment procedure for appointing contractors to run future schemes.
• They agree they didn’t learn lessons from previous energy efficiency schemes, and have committed to an independent evaluation which will be published in August 2023 and shared with all relevant officials. They claim they have already involved more than 100 officials in a lessons learnt project from HMT, No 10 and elsewhere. They have also set up a new programme to increase the department’s capacity to deliver major projects.
• BEIS also notes in its response that one of their KPIs to No 10 is the improvement in the number of EPC Cs, on which they have to report on annually. Which should put pressure on them to find ways to make a difference.

To read the response in full, click here.

If you’d like to get in touch with your thoughts, or if you have any questions, please contact us at info@nia-uk.org or call us on 012171664558. 

The National Insulation Association has supported the ADE and the wider sector in calling for a reduction in the VAT applied to energy efficiency measures from the current rate of 20% to 0%, similar to that of new build projects.

Regardless of what policies and other incentives exist for the retrofit market, with 20% VAT on all retrofit works to existing homes, there is a strong disincentive to carry out deep retrofit works. This is a particularly critical issue considering the ongoing energy price crisis – whilst energy efficiency solutions alone cannot solve the issue of soaring energy bills, they are an effective way in which the UK can work to futureproof the warmth, health and comfort of its citizens.

To find out more, click here.

If you’d like to get in touch with your thoughts, or if you have any questions, please contact us at info@nia-uk.org or call us on 012171664558. 

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has provided an update on the Energy Company Obligation (ECO3) End of Scheme Eligibility Matching.

The main points to note are:

• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits data matching facility will close for ECO3 eligibility matching on 31st March 2022. It is unlikely that BEIS will be able to reopen until the ECO4 statutory instrument comes into force.
• Parties participating in ECO can still check eligible households up to 31st March 2022.
• Parties participating in ECO can still check eligibility through alternative forms of benefit evidence.
• LA Flex eligibility does not rely on data matching, so targeting under LA Flex will not be affected.

If you’d like to get in touch with your thoughts, or if you have any questions, please contact us at info@nia-uk.org or call us on 012171664558. 

First wave of Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund allocates £179 million to 69 projects

With energy efficiency improvements being one of the most effective ways to reduce energy bills, the National Insulation Association welcomes news that the first wave of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund will improve 20,000 homes.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has named a total of 69 projects to have been successful in bidding for funding through the scheme which will invest a total of £3.8 billion over a period of ten years. The funding follows the success of a £61 million demonstrator project, which improved the energy efficiency of 2,100 households.

Targeting social housing properties with an Energy Performance Certification (EPC) rating of D or lower, the funding will see tens of thousands of tenants across England benefit from energy efficiency upgrades including external wall insulation, roof insulation, energy efficient doors and windows, heat pumps and solar panels.

What impact will the funding have?

• 20,000 social housing properties across England will receive energy efficiency upgrades as government announces £179 million cash boost
• Funding for 69 projects will help cut fuel bills for social housing tenants and deliver warmer homes
• Upgrades will support around 9,000 green energy sector jobs and deliver emissions savings equivalent to taking up to 6,000 cars off the road in any given year

Where are the projects located?

• London, £23,708,238
• Southwest, £5,024,842
• Southeast, £8,608,446
• East of England, £27,323,006
• West Midlands, £23,208,418
• East Midlands, £ 27,760,477
• Northeast, £14,177,002
• Northwest, £26,309,473
• Yorkshire and the Humber, £22,573,272

What next?

The upgrades are expected to be completed by the end of March 2023 as part of plans to support lower income and more vulnerable households.

In the Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy and Net Zero Strategy, a commitment was made to invest £800 million for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund as part of the 2021 Spending Review process across the next three years. This commitment, together with today’s announcement and the associated demonstrator project, brings the total committed funding to just over £1 billion so far.

Wave 2 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund is due to launch in the next financial year, with more details expected in the coming months.

If you’d like to get in touch with your thoughts, or if you have any questions, please contact us at info@nia-uk.org or call us on 012171664558. 

Building Regulation Updates

There have been a number of policy updates in December so far which may be of interest to members. This e-brief provides a summary of the key updates. If you have any questions about these updates and how they may impact your business, please do not hesitate to get in touch and we would be happy to provide you with further information.

Building Regulation Updates

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has today implemented the 2021 uplift to the Building Regulations via the publication of new approved documents:

• Approved Document L, Volume 1: Dwellings
• Approved Document L, Volume 2: Buildings Other Than Dwellings
• Approved Document F, Volume 1: Dwellings
• Approved Document F, Volume 2: Buildings Other Than Dwellings
• Approved Document O (Overheating)

Alongside the above documents, the Government has laid out new regulations and published guidance surrounding the installation of electric vehicle charge points in new and existing buildings (undergoing certain types of work).

The uplift will come into force on 15 June 2022, following a 6-month period. Transitional arrangements are in place which mean that if a building notice, initial notice, or full plans for building work are submitted to a local authority before 15 June 2022, then provided the building work commences by 15 June 2023, work on that individual building is permitted to continue under the previous standards.

In addition to the publication of the approved documents, the Government has set out its response to the Future Buildings Standard consultation. This sets out the Government’s plans for the implementation of the FBS from 2025 following the public consultation which the NIA responded to.

A full technical consultation on the Future Buildings Standard will commence in 2023.

To read more, click here.

Chancellor must make the right decision next week!

Today’s article in the Guardian reads: “Members of the renewable energy industry have written to ministers calling for the green home grants to be maintained and enhanced as a key measure for reaching net-zero by 2050. They say it is incredibly popular with homeowners keen to reduce energy costs and contribute to tackling climate change.

The signatories, from 19 organisations representing or working within the energy efficiency and low-carbon heating sector, said premature closure of the grants would put jobs in jeopardy, dash the dreams of homeowners and put the UK’s net zero target at significant risk.

“Derek Horrocks, the chairman of the National Insulation Association, said: “Stable policy is needed to provide the industry with the confidence it needs to invest and adapt to the demands of the net zero transition. Inquiries for insulation and low-carbon heating have been extremely high, in spite of the current circumstances, and companies across the sector have responded and geared up the supply chain to meet demand.

“That’s why we would urge the chancellor not to curtail the green homes grant to ensure that our sector can lead the UK’s economic recovery and meet the government’s net zero ambitions.”

Read the full article here. 

19 organisations representing or working within the energy efficiency and low carbon heating sector have written to Government Ministers, highlighting the importance of the continued and successful delivery of the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme (GHGVS).

Premature closure of the Green Homes Grant Scheme would put jobs in jeopardy, dash the dreams of homeowners and put the UK’s Net Zero target at significant risk

The Green Homes Grant was announced by the Chancellor, Rt Hon Rishi Sunak in July 2020 with the intention of kickstarting a green recovery, creating jobs and enabling homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. The initiative has been met with high demand from homeowners and industry, and while initial teething problems due to administration challenges have been significant, it is promising to see these issues now being resolved.

The energy efficiency and low carbon heating sector is concerned by recent rumours that the scheme will come to an early close on March 31^st 2021 and that the £320 million of the funding allocated for 2021/22 may be recalled. Such a decision could have significant financial implications for businesses who have invested in developing capacity to meet the demands of the scheme; it would also undermine the trust of homeowners who have applied for vouchers for home improvements yet to be delivered.

Derek Horrocks, Chairman of the National Insulation Association, said:

“Stable policy is needed to provide the industry with the confidence it needs to invest and adapt to the demands of the net-zero transition. Enquiries for insulation and low carbon heating have been extremely high, in spite of the current circumstances, and companies across the sector have responded and geared up the supply chain to meet demand.

“That’s why we would urge the Chancellor not to curtail the Green Homes Grant to ensure that our sector can lead the UK’s economic recovery and meet the government’s net zero ambitions.”

Signatories to the letter include:

The Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE), Heat Pump Association (HPA), The Insulated Render and Cladding Association (INCA), Insulated Assurance Authority (IAA), Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), National Insulation Association (NIA), Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA), Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd (REAL), Solar Energy UK, Sustainable Energy Association (SEA), Solid Wall Insulation Guarantee Agency (SWIGA), Caplor Energy, Interglow, Insta Group, Pacifica Group, Permarock, Saving Energy UK, Sustainable Building Services and Westville Group.

ENDS

EDITORS NOTES

National Insulation Association Media Enquiries:
Christina Thompson-Yates, PR and Content Manager
Telephone: 07394 560 984| Email christina.thompsonyates@ecuity.com

Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) Media Enquiries:
Jack Abbott, PR and Communications Manager
Telephone 07590 627739 | Email: jabbott@r-e-a.net

Solar Energy UK media enquiries:
Jack Dobson-Smith, Senior external affairs adviser
Telephone: 020 3637 2946 | Email jdobson@solarenergyuk.org

Notes to Editors:

1. The letter was sent to Government Ministers on 23^rd February 2021 and is hosted on the NIA website: https://www.nia-uk.org/media/1666/industry-letter-to-lord-callanan_final_version_230221.pdf
2. The National Insulation Association (NIA) represents the insulation industry in the UK with a member base comprised of installers, system certificate holders, and manufacturers who provide a wide range of insulation solutions for homes and buildings. The NIA and its members are fully committed to maintaining and raising standards within the insulation industry.

Professional Indemnity Insurance is emerging as a serious barrier to the recovery of the UK construction industry as it bounces back from Covid-19

As a member of the Construction Leadership Council, the National Insulation Association is contributing to solving this important issue and would like to encourage all members who have been affected by the severe tightening of the PI insurance market to take part in a new survey, launched by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC).

The survey has been developed as part of the CLC’s plans to develop a robust evidence base, identifying the impact of the PI crisis and the areas where the industry is facing the most significant difficulties. It asks companies to provide confidential feedback on the costs and policy exclusions that they have experienced when renewing their cover.

The NIA sits on the Construction Leadership Council Professional Indemnity Group and would urge all members to participate.

The survey will be live until 12th March 2021. Industry-level details of the results will then be published by Construction Leadership Council and used to inform ongoing work to support the sector. 

The poll is entirely confidential, but firms are asked to indicate their type of business to help target any future support on those areas of greatest need.

Take the survey

The partnership will exclusively offer members 400 heavily subsidised places on their NVQ level 2 courses in Insulation and Building Treatments.

Exclusive to members of the National Insulation Association: on-site NVQ training, with 70% funded by the Green Homes Grant.

The National Insulation Association has formally partnered with Think Construction Skills to help members provide specialist training and expand their workforce of PAS2030 accredited installers. The training places are being offered exclusively to NIA members and their member-sponsored supply chains, with 70% of the fees funded by the Green Homes Grant. The remaining 30% will be provided by the learner or company for £330 + VAT.

Level 2 National Vocational Qualification (NVQ)
A total of 400 training places are available for Level 2 National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) on-site assessment in Insulation and Building Treatments, specialising in the following areas:

• External Wall Insulation – Boarder
• External Wall Insulation – Finisher
• Cavity Wall Insulation
• Cold Roof Insulation
• Warm Roof Insulation
• Draught-proofing
• Internal Insulation
• Insulated Framed Sections of Building
• Floor Insulation

Register your interest

http://www.thinkconstructionskills.com/green-homes-grant-funding/

📞 01992 574082    📧 stephen@thinkconstructionskills.com

Think Construction 
Think Construction Skills offer support and training in NVQ Qualifications across the UK.

Click here to visit their website 

The Green Homes Grant Skills Competition 
Think Construction Skills has been awarded funding under the Green Homes Grant (GHG) Skills Training Competition, launched by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to support tradespeople with the delivery of home energy efficiency improvements. This government initiative began on 4th January 2021 and will end in May 2021 and is available across England.

“We are delighted to announce this groundbreaking partnership with Think Construction Skills, which will provide members of the NIA with exclusive access to well-needed support in upskilling their workforce at a substantially reduced cost – and at a time when they need it most.” 

The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has written a letter to the construction sector restating the Government position, which is that firms and tradespeople in the construction sector and its supply chain should continue to operate during the national lockdown.

The letter was published on Monday 11th January following new national lockdown restrictions as of 4th January.

Read the letter in full here