Comment on new Green Homes Grant data

Commenting on new government figures showing 123,500 applications for the Green Homes Grant in the first six months of the scheme [1], Jess Ralston, Analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: “Continued high public interest for plugging leaky homes will pile more pressure on government to bring in a replacement and avoid breaking its promises to make our homes greener. Despite making the Green Homes Grant unnecessarily difficult to access and imposing unmanageable deadlines, there remains immense backing for measures to curb energy waste from Britain’s homes.

“Low conversion of applications to vouchers issued will also cause concern, especially amid near-constant reports of how the scheme is being mishandled. As the government weighs up options for next steps, it would be wise to learn from mistakes made in the Green Homes Grant and deliver a package to make a real dent in emissions from our homes.

“Without meaningful plans and policies to decarbonise the nation’s homes, the government will continue struggling to build back credibility on net zero. Emissions from homes have not fallen for several years and will not do so without actions that make it easier for families to cut carbon and stop wasting energy.”

Total vouchers (to end Feb):

Timeline:

• 8th July: £2bn Green Homes Grant announced as part of Covid recovery package
• 4th August: Aims to improve 600k houses by the deadline of March 2021 and support 100k construction jobs
• 29th Sep : Demand predicted to be very high
• 30th Sep: Scheme launches
• 9th Oct: Installers explain a 6-month scheme not worth time and cost of training
• 18^th Oct: Households report they cannot find local installers
• November: First vouchers issued
• 18th Nov: Scheme extended by 1 year to March 2022
• 18th Nov: Reports that accreditation process is off-putting for installers
• November: Environmental Audit Committee hear evidence that consumers still finding scheme inaccessible
• 19th Feb: Reported that the scheme will be scrapped in March 2021
• 21st Feb: Energy Minister confirms funding will be cut to £320m and underspend will not be rolled over – meaning around 10% household target met
• 22nd Feb: Industry groups condemn the move
• 5th Mar: Green Homes Grant not mentioned in Budget