Contractors completing energy improvements on the homes of low-income families will need to be registered with a new government quality scheme – the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) – to give residents confidence that they will get a good service.
Work undertaken through ECO offers free energy-saving measures, including insulation and new boilers for low-income and vulnerable households.
The Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng recently confirmed that those completing this work will need to be registered through a new quality scheme, delivered by ‘TrustMark’. It will also protect all homeowners having energy efficiency improvement work done on their properties, when they choose to use a ‘TrustMark’ registered business.
Around 15% of households take an energy efficiency measure each year, with over one million installing additional or replacement loft insulation and over one million upgrading to double glazed windows. The energy efficiency industry is worth over £20 billion in Great Britain, employing nearly 150,000 and selling exports worth over £1 billion every year.
Emissions from buildings account for nearly a quarter of all carbon emissions, which the government is committed to reducing. Under this government, the UK became the first G7 economy to put into law a commitment that Britain will reach net zero greenhouse gas emission by 2050. Insulation in domestic premises can make a significant contribution to reaching our carbon targets and help reduce the cost of heating homes.
This new scheme will guarantee households the peace of mind that workers installing energy efficiency measures in their homes are trusted tradespeople.
All consumers who want energy efficiency and home improvement measures installed on their own homes will be able to search the ‘TrustMark’ website for trusted and certified tradespeople.
Contractors working in this energy efficiency sector should register with the ECO scheme asap.