It’s currently too complicated for people to adapt their homes for Net Zero and too often things go wrong – according to an open letter to the Prime Minister from a coalition of consumer and industry groups.
Citizens Advice, Which?, Aldersgate Group and the Federation of Master Builders are urging the government to work with them to address the obstacles currently faced by consumers and ensure lessons from previous energy-efficiency schemes are learned.
Mistakes made by previous schemes have left too many people struggling with damp and mould due to poorly installed insulation, the letter says. Others suffered damage to their homes, leaving them with long-term problems that were expensive, disruptive and distressing to resolve.
The coalition is calling on the Government to take the opportunity to fix these gaps through its upcoming Net Zero Strategy and put in place a long-term strategy to help households overcome the barriers to adapting their homes for the net-zero transition.
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Information – from installing low-carbon heating to upgrading insulation, it’s confusing for people to know what steps to take and what technologies to install. People need more accessible and unbiased information to help make the right changes to their homes.
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Consumer protections – the consumer protection landscape must be fit for purpose. If protections don’t keep up with the pace of change, the door will be opened to scammers and rogue traders. Previous energy efficiency schemes have been marred by such problems – which also began to emerge with the Green Homes Grant.
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Costs – many people will need financial support to make changes to their homes. There needs to be a comprehensive long-term policy framework that provides certainty for businesses and consumers, which offers financial support such as predictable and well-advertised grants, low-cost loans and financing.
Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said:
“Our evidence is clear. Right now, making green changes to homes is too confusing and too often things go wrong for those trying to do the right thing. The public are behind the net-zero transition, but they need the right information and tools, particularly when it comes to adapting their home.
“By getting things right now, the government can give people the confidence to make changes and play their part in getting to net zero.”
