A scheme in much need of improvement
In September 2022, Propertymark provided evidence to the House of Lords Built Environment Committee Inquiry into the Scheme, highlighting that insufficient grant payments and a lack of awareness were leading to a poor uptake. The Committee concluded that the scheme was failing to deliver its goals.
DESNZ must take note of key issues
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) consultation on proposed amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme would hopefully signal substantial improvements. However, the amendments fail to address the fundamental issues that have led to poor uptake of the Scheme, and Propertymark will continue to reiterate to MPs and parliamentarians the main causes behind the low up-take, which are:
- Poor public awareness of available grant funding and low-carbon heating systems
- The amount of funding provided does not cover the cost of retrofit
- There are alternative energy efficiency measures that a broader single energy efficiency fund could support, which are more affordable and do not require specialists to install.
