We love when you share your opinions with us, and recently Peter Brown (@PBrownPlumbing) shared his thoughts via our Twitter. Restricted to 140 characters, Plumbzine’s editor, Bethan Grylls, got in touch with Peter to see if he’d like to chat more. This is what he said:
Dear Bethan,
You very recently made contact with me on twitter, asking me about my thoughts on the Green Deal, so here it is:
Back in July 2014, my local council were offering grants to encourage small businesses for training and certification to become Authorised Green Deal Installers. So I applied for it, and shortly after I received a £1000 grant from my local council to help me become a Green Deal Installer.
Just a few days later, the scheme folded! I had a lucky escape – I had not spent any money, nor had I started the training. However, there were installers that had invested time and money into this scheme. They must have felt sick when the Green Deal collapsed. How is that supposed to encourage small businesses to uptake this and similar schemes!?!
I recently learnt the news that the Green Deal had returned, and I still feel that it is more suited to large businesses. What concerns me the most is that I have Plumbing NVQs level 2 + 3, I have my domestic gas qualifications, I am Gas Safe registered, and I am a member of various trade associations, yet I still have to spend money and time training again to prove my competence in order to be “qualified” for these schemes. Much more should be done to help small businesses instead of making up schemes that blatantly line the pockets of large corporations.
Kind regards,
Peter Brown
Peter Brown Plumbing & Heating