Tackling climate change is a big task , and not something that can be done overnight . The Government has set itself ambitious targets for the UK to be carbon neutral by 2050 but to achieve these targets drastic action must be taken . Upgrading our homes to be more energy-efficient has been identified as a key way for the Government to reach its targets . To incentivise the upgrades , which can be costly , the Government introduced the Green Homes Grant Scheme in September 2020 , designed to help homeowners and landlords make essential energy-saving changes to their properties . The idea was that the Government would supplement the upgrades with vouchers to cover a proportion or , in some cases , all of the cost . However , the scheme did not go to plan and has subsequently been scrapped a year ahead of schedule .

On the face of it , the scheme was revolutionary . Not only would the home improvements boost the country ’ s environmental credentials , but it would also help homeowners save money on their energy bills . There were also hopes it would have the knockon effect of creating jobs amid a difficult time for many during the coronavirus pandemic . In theory ,

we knew that homeowners would have to apply for at least one primary measure before they could even think about glazing , doors , and _windows

it was perfect . In reality , the execution was lacking .

The cracks in the scheme started to appear early on . When the initiative first launched , there was very little information available explaining how the scheme would work , not just for homeowners interested in taking part , but also for those working in the industry expected to deliver the work .

Not only was the information available limited , but the scheme itself was overly convoluted , making it difficult for homeowners to carry out the work they actually wanted . For example , the initiative outlined two distinct categories , classed as primary and secondary measures – it is the secondary measures which

related to the fenestration industry . However , for a homeowner to qualify for a secondary measure , such as double or triple glazing , secondary glazing or upgrading to energy efficient doors and windows , they would first have to apply for at least one primary measure , which included solid wall insulation , cavity wall insulation , roof insulation , or putting in a biomass boiler .

So , any initial excitement that those of us working in the fenestration industry had about the Government ’ s radical new scheme quickly subsided , as we knew that homeowners would have to apply for at least one primary measure before they could even think about glazing , doors , and windows .

There were other issues too , such as installation . Once a homeowner had decided to embark on upgrading their home , they would search for an accredited tradesperson who was registered to carry out work and could claim for the vouchers to supplement the cost from the Government . However , only tradespeople registered with either the TrustMark or Microgeneration Certification Scheme accreditations could carry out work under the initiative . Achieving these accreditations , on top of those that they have already obtained , is a time-consuming process , and with demand for work under the scheme being limited , many tradespeople didn ’ t bother registering . So , finding

someone to carry out the work was difficult .

We saw proof of these shortcomings first-hand at Origin . We witnessed a significant spike in web traffic when the scheme was first announced as homeowners considered what work they could have done and which suppliers they wanted to use . However , once it became clear that it would be a complicated process and they would have to complete a primary measure before being able to upgrade their doors and windows , the web traffic dropped off and we received minimal enquiries connected to the scheme .

Conclusions

Ultimately , the scheme failed and was pulled by the Government in March , a year earlier than originally planned . Had it been successful , the scheme could have revolutionised homes up and down the country , but there were some serious red flags which prevented it from taking off . Had it been easier to understand the details and simpler to execute , then it might have been a roaring success , but the effort outweighed the benefits , and I ’ m not surprised it was cut short .

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