Moves in the chancellor’s summer statement to invest £2bn in green home grants, which includes a voucher scheme to improve energy efficiency of the UK’s homes and investment in the energy efficiency of social housing, have been welcomed by Simon Ayers, CEO of TrustMark.
The chief of the government endorsed quality scheme said: “We welcome the chancellor’s support for homeowners to carry out insulation and other retrofit measures around their homes. The only way to have a realistic chance of meeting the government’s carbon neutral 2050 deadline is to improve the energy efficiency of the homes we already have, so this investment from the government is an important step in achieving that goal and starting the development of a long-term plan to retrofit a high percentage of the UK’s homes.
“The focus on green recovery and creating jobs, apprenticeships and momentum through other tax related areas is also good news for the construction industry, particularly small to medium sized house building and trades businesses. It will help protect jobs and create new opportunities for business to retrain and grow. Working with the sectors we will rebuild consumer confidence and support the delivery of quality work and the re-investment from the homeowner into a long-term plan for their property.
“However, more needs to be done to provide new and innovative green finance options, alongside the existing products for consumers, as well as the development of a retrofit roadmap for the industry to follow, so we are working to the same goal and delivering quality work that consumers can trust. We will be working with and collaborating across the energy and construction sectors to ensure businesses are supported and consumers can rely on the traders that carry out work in and around their homes making them fit for the future.”