A new ECO+ scheme announced by the UK government offering £1bn towards better insulation in domestic properties must be the start of wider retrofit plans, an industry body has stressed.
Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps launched scheme this week, as part of wider action to “help the UK meet its ambition of becoming energy independent”.
The new ECO+ scheme would extend support to those who do not currently benefit from any other government support to upgrade their home.
Most funding will be made available for those households who are in some of the least energy-efficient homes in the country, with an EPC rating of D or below and in the lower Council Tax bands, it was announced.
Support for homeowners to make their homes warmer and cheaper to heat is welcome, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), but must be followed by a long-term comprehensive plan to retrofit all of the UK’s 28 million leaky and energy inefficient homes.
Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “I welcome any move to improve the UK’s leaky and draughty homes and making them cheaper to heat. ECO+ is a step in the right direction, targeting a much wider section of homes-owners, but it must not be considered ‘job done’ by the government.
“I’m also cautious about rollout of the scheme; consultation with industry is non-negotiable, to avoid a repeat of failures of the Green Homes Grant Scheme and we must ensure that installation is of the highest quality. Ultimately, to give homeowners and the industry confidence, we need a broader whole-house approach to retrofit, rather than a piecemeal policy.”