The Green Homes Grant Scheme will be doomed to failure unless installation companies sign up to take part, says Insight Data.
As of 4 August 2020, a mere 0.64% of window and door installers have signed up to the Scheme, according to figures by Insight Data.
The scheme, launched by the Government to improve the energy efficiency of homes, is primarily aimed at upgrading houses with poor insulation, by funding up to two-thirds of home improvements. As a secondary measure, it also covers glazing for properties with single glazed windows with the potential to upgrade to double glazing, and doors.
Information released by the Government suggests that consumers could save up to £600 a year on energy bills by taking advantage of the scheme, but with limited opportunities for window and door installers – who must also have TrustMark or Microgeneration Certification Scheme accreditation to take part – it has failed to gain any noticeable traction in the glazing industry.
According to the Glass & Glazing Federation ‘Only installers who are accredited to PAS2030 will be allowed to carry out work under the scheme. It is estimated that of the 15,000 window and door installers in the UK, less than 5% (under 500) are PAS2030 registered.’
Insight Data adds that, at the start of August, only 35 companies had registered to be installers of ‘replacement glazing’ and 26 companies registered to be installers of ‘secondary glazing’.
Insight Data’s marketing tool, Salestracker, currently holds 9,523 companies installing PVC frames across the UK. It also has several databases of businesses that work in the Fenestration and Construction industry.
Even if trade people back the scheme, says Insight Data, it may eventually prove to be a ‘dead duck’ of an idea. 600,000 properties are estimated to be eligible across the England for the scheme. As of March 2019, England is estimated to have 24.4million dwellings. This means that only 2.4% of UK housing stock can use the Green Homes Grant scheme.
Although the scheme has been billed as a way for low-income families to save on their energy bills it remains to be seen how many will benefit if less than 3% of UK homes are eligible.
