Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
The National Insulation Association has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer today calling for the £2 billion Green Homes Grant Scheme to be extended due to its concern that the short timescales will limit the scheme’s success.
The Green Homes Grant Scheme went live on 30th September and there are rising concerns that the initial enthusiasm for it will diminish due to the three-month validity of individual vouchers and the scheme’s end date: 31st March 2021. With the vouchers not being available until mid-November, there will be just four and a half months for the industry to deliver measures.
Without an extension, there is a risk, the NIA argues, that the level of uptake will sit much lower than the Government’s target of 600,000 homes.
Derek Horrocks, Chair of the National Insulation Association said: “The NIA has championed the Green Homes Grant scheme since it was first announced. However, we must now address the concerns being echoed across the sector. Four and a half months from the point at which the first vouchers will be issued is not enough time to deliver on the Government’s aspirations for energy efficiency and job creation.
“We are heading into winter – a time of year which already creates weather challenges for many green home improvements. On top of this, the nation and the workforce are still grappling with the impacts of a pandemic. It is vital that the scheme is extended to ensure that opportunities are not missed.”
