Quality Assurance at Heart of Green Homes

Tradespeople throughout England are being urged to sign up for TrustMark accreditation as part of the new Green Homes Grant Scheme, including builders and plumbers.

The new scheme will see the UK Government fund up to two-thirds of the cost of home improvements of over 600,000 homes and supporting over 100,000 jobs in green construction.

Tradespeople must register for TrustMark or Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation in order to take part in the scheme, which will cover green home improvements that range from insulation of walls, floors and roofs, to installation of low-carbon heating, such as heat pumps or solar thermal – measures which have the opportunity to save families up to £600 per year on their energy bills.

The Government has also set out further details on the range of measures included in the scheme and how consumers in England can claim the new vouchers, which will be worth up to £5,000 for homeowners. Households that are on low income can apply for vouchers that cover 100% of the cost of improvements up to a maximum of £10K.

Business and Energy Secretary Alok Sharma said: “Green home improvements will save people money on their energy bills, help to cut carbon emissions, and create new work for many thousands of builders, plumbers and other tradespeople.

“Our TrustMark scheme will guarantee that building work is completed to a high standard by accredited tradespeople, ensuring consumers are fully protected.”

TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme covering work a consumer chooses to have carried out on their home. Households will be able to choose from approved tradespeople in their areas to carry out the work, but only approved and accredited installers will be able to be commissioned, ensuring high standards and consumer protection.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said: “The Green Homes Grant is a vital part of our plan for jobs as we secure the UK’s economic recovery from coronavirus. This is going to be a green recovery with concern for our environment at its heart.

“It will help to protect and create jobs, while also saving people money and cutting carbon.”

The Green Homes Grants will give homeowners, including owner occupiers and social/private landlords, vouchers to install one or more of the following:

• solid wall, under-floor, cavity wall or roof insulation
• air source or ground source heat pump
• solar thermal

In addition, households can use their voucher for further energy saving measures. These include one or more of the following:

• double or triple glazing/secondary glazing, when replacing single glazing
• upgrading to energy efficient doors
• hot water tank/appliance tank thermostats/heating controls

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