The recent announcement by the government of the Green Homes Grant Scheme is a welcome boost to manufacturers whose products are included, given the current economic uncertainty.

BEAMA hopes that this approach can now be used as a basis for a longer-term housing refurbishment program, using the very welcome investment over the next 12 months as the basis for this major programme. As members of the Green Finance Institute’s Coalition for the Energy Efficiency of Buildings, BEAMA is now working alongside a broad coalition of financial and business experts to develop innovative and scalable financial solutions that enable locally-delivered energy efficiency projects for all.

The inclusion of heat pumps as a primary measure, and heating controls as secondary measure is welcomed. For the former technology this is evidence of the importance of a move towards low-carbon heating, for heating controls further recognition of the vital role of managing heating systems and gaining the benefits of insulation measures. We know that there are additional measures that can improve the energy efficiency of existing homes and make them ready for wider electrification and grid flexibility. We hope that Government will engage with industry at an early stage so that these can be included in future incentive schemes.

We are pleased to see that measures installed under this scheme will be installed by Trustmark registered installers as this is the correct way to take the overall energy efficiency industry forward. It is essential that the householders receiving measures have the best possible experience of the installation, that they have confidence in the work, and receive the full benefit of potential energy and cost savings. As part of this, it is essential that regulations are followed to provide effective ventilation alongside insulation measures. As the Each Homes Counts review concluded, this will avoid the potential risk of householders otherwise ending up with poor indoor air quality and mould growth, with associated health impacts.

Howard Porter, BEAMA CEO, said: “As the former chair of the Implementation Board of Each Home Counts, I welcome today’s announcement as an endorsement of the collaboration between Industry, Government and consumer groups to deliver the quality systems now managed by Trustmark. BEAMA members will continue to provide quality products for UK householders, and we encourage all installers to follow the Trustmark quality standards.”

About BEAMA

BEAMA is the UK trade association for manufacturers and providers of energy infrastructure technologies and systems. We represent more than 200 companies, from start-ups and SMEs to large multinationals. Our members' products ensure low carbon energy and environmental services are delivered safely, securely and efficiently to UK homes,  businesses,  transport and grid networks.  We support our members in ensuring that the UK has a strong electrotechnical industry that is recognised as an essential part of modern society and brings invaluable economic, social and environmental benefits.