The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund closed on 24th July after having exhausted DECC’s £120m budget in just six weeks.
The voucher scheme, which benefited thousands of people and gave a welcome boost to demand for energy efficiency measures, offered households up to £7,600 each in cashback to help them invest in energy efficiency measures.
Commenting on the closure, managing director of NAPIT Certification David Cowburn said, ‘The GDHIF has demonstrated a real appetite for energy efficiency work but has, at the same time, been undermined by short term, reactive policy making.
‘NAPIT are disappointed that DECC keep moving the goal posts for small companies, including our members, many of which have gone to considerable trouble and expense to get involved and help deliver such initiatives.
‘There is now a very real danger that installers, the driving force behind one of the fastest growing industries in the UK, will look on future government cashback initiatives with scepticism. The energy efficiency and renewables industries need certainty from government and we urge DECC to invest in a subsequent fund to make the best use of the high level of interest shown by the public in improving the energy efficiency of their homes in the past six weeks.’
The last £70m of the fund was snapped up in just three days, suggesting the surge was sparked by DECCs announcement on 22ndJuly that the maximum cashback available would be cut.
