The Home Upgrade Grant Scheme is "broken" and "falling woefully short of its potential" according to Ian Preston, director of external affairs at the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE).
The scheme aims to improve energy efficiency in poor homes and help with energy price rises, but Mr Preston claims that due to complicated rules and inflexible guidelines many homes are left in limbo waiting for grants.
He says the new Labour Government's £6.6bn Warm Homes plan offers hope but it must learn from the Home Upgrade Grant Scheme's mistakes.
'Vulnerable' people left in 'miserable living conditions'
Mr Preston says the current approval process for the Home Upgrade Grant Scheme is too complicated because it involves many organisations causing unnecessary delays.
He claims that recently there were ten properties with retrofit measures that cost £130,000 that were stuck in the retrofit system for five months before eventually being rejected and now six months later they are still waiting to be processed.
He claims this "leaves people in vulnerable circumstances stuck in miserable living conditions for extended periods".
Home Upgrade Grant focuses too much on EPCs
Mr Preston also says the Home Upgrade Grant Scheme's "strict" rules focus on improving Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings by two bands, which often ignore what a professional retrofit assessment recommends.
Improving EPC ratings doesn't necessarily always improve the living conditions inside the home and he argues this approach doesn't consider the specific needs of each home and its residents.
Claire Wilson at the CSE also notes: "After the professional retrofit assessment tells you the property needs something, how can you dictate something else? It baffles me!"
7 step plan for improvements to the scheme
Mr Preston says the Home Upgrade Grant misses chances to reduce both fuel poverty and carbon emissions. For example, he claims homes getting solar panels should also get solar batteries and smart meters to use electricity more efficiently and rely less on fossil fuels.
The new Local Authority Retrofit Scheme (LARS) can fix these problems. CSE suggests the following improvements:
- Simplify the approval process: Reduce the number of organizations involved and speed up decisions.
- Flexible, needs-based retrofits: Focus on what each home needs, based on a professional assessment, rather than sticking to strict EPC improvements.
- Address both carbon reduction and fuel poverty: Ensure that public funds are used to tackle both issues at the same time.
- Future-proof installations: Include technologies that allow homes to use smart energy tariffs and flexible energy systems.
- Monitor performance: Track and measure outcomes to improve the system continuously.
- Support after installation: Provide residents with advice and guidance to make the most of new technologies.
- Ensure long-term funding: Create a ten-year national retrofitting program to build confidence in the sector and encourage growth.
Mr Preston does claim Labour Government's promise to double investment in home energy improvements is a positive step but to succeed, it must learn from the failures of the Home Upgrade Grant
He says he hopes these changes will be considered when the government prepares to launch its Warm Homes Plan.
