Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Insulation supplier Knauf Insulation has criticised the Government’s Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) for not including loft insulation in its list of approved measures.
From June of this year, people who install energy-saving measures such as solid wall insulation and new boilers in England and Wales will be able to get up to £7600 back through the new scheme.
Steven Heath, director – public affairs and strategy for Knauf Insulation Northern Europe, said that although the simplicity of the fund will be attractive to installers and homeowners, he is disappointed not to see loft insulation as part of the scheme.
He said: “Whether as a top up or complete install, loft insulation is one of the few simple and effective measures that meets the golden rule of Green Deal. To not include this in the measures means we are likely to continue to see boilers installed without cost effective loft insulation offered to the householder.
“As a matter of fact, the installation of boilers without addressing insulation was seen as one of several key failures in both the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and the existing cash back schemes.
Heath added that the latest scheme “falls short by creating perverse incentives that mean cash back offers to homeowners may not reflect what is best for them and their property in the long term”.
“It must also be remembered that this ‘new’ money on offer is not additional, but rather an attempt to make up for the devastating cuts to the ECO sister scheme announced last Christmas,” he said.
“Government desperately needs to consider the size of the challenge more seriously, recognise the problem is a long term one and start designing policy interventions that match the scope of that task: which ultimately boils down to driving a higher value for energy efficient homes in the minds of those that live in them.
“We have long argued that a tax incentive linking the efficiency of the whole property to the amount of stamp duty paid, offers a more impactful approach than simple cash inducements. It also tackles the ‘which measure to incentivise’ issue hampering current schemes and offers what is desperately missing – a whole house view. We remain hopeful this will be reflected in the imminent manifestos of all parties.”
