19th
Aug 2021
Apparently the government is looking at a replacement for its failed Green Homes Grant, which was supposed to have helped many thousands of landlords to improve the EPC efficiency of their properties.
Earlier this year in March the government issued a statement that the £1.5bn Green Homes Grant scheme available for homeowners and landlords was to be stopped with short notice.
The scheme was introduced with much fanfare in September last year, however although the government received more than 123,000 applications for grants, however a pathetic number of vouchers – 28,000 – were granted and worse still just 5,800 energy efficiency installations were carried out.
The government swiftly reacted by killing off the scheme citing delivery issues and nowhere near enough skilled fitters to complete installations.
Domestic properties’ environmental improvements are seen by the government as key in its battle to reduce climate change and is now considering new measures to aid this.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said he is having ongoing talks with the Chancellor to introduce a new scheme/grant that he described as an “equivalent” plan.
He also stated the government is looking at how the expensive the prices of heat pumps are, which is seen as the eventual long term replacement for gas boilers.
In the same interview he suggested that the price of heat pumps - seen as a long term successor to carbon-heavy gas boilers - could be literally halved.
Kwarteng told the Today programme one energy supplier Octopus has intimated the cost of heat pumps will “very quickly” become as little as £5,000, current prices range from £10,000 to a ridiculously high £35,000.
Green Homes Grant scheme imploded at the start of the year because of the extreme shortage of government endorsed TrustMark accredited engineers which caused the pathetically low number of installations.
The new scheme will award grants in the form of vouchers to landlords and homeowners towards an ‘upgrade’ to installing heat pump installations.
Recent research undertaken by a trade body found that a measly 5 per cent of PRS households were given government funding to help improve energy efficiency improvements, although needing it most.
Unsurprisingly ‘homes’ classed as fuel poor social rented households received twice as many government grants compared to those in the private rented sector.
The English Housing Survey found that one third or private rented housing was built before 1919 which is the most difficult to upgrade energy efficiency and is the highest proportion of any housing sector . The country’s entire housing stock 84% of properties were built before 1919 have an average energy rating of D or worse.
As 62 per cent of PRS homes have a D energy rating and is why out of all households classed as ‘fuel poor’ private rented homes account for 37 per cent, whereas there is only 23 per cent social rented homes.
Richard Merrick of PIMS says:” Heating pumps will cost landlords many thousands on a system of heating that is highly inefficient, which will end up costing households far more money to run causing ‘poverty’ because of the ever increasing energy costs.”
News Archive »