Recommendations & Conclusions
6 items
3
Recommendation
1st Report - Retrofitting homes for net…
Accepted in Part
The Government must announce a long-term programme for how it plans to support home retrofit beyond 2026 in its Warm Homes Plan. This should include a reduction in the number of schemes offered; significantly relaxed eligibility criteria to prioritise uptake; funding commitments until at least 2035; and a strategy to …
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The Government must announce a long-term programme for how it plans to support home retrofit beyond 2026 in its Warm Homes Plan. This should include a reduction in the number of schemes offered; significantly relaxed eligibility criteria to prioritise uptake; funding commitments until at least 2035; and a strategy to facilitate area-based retrofit. (Recommendation, Paragraph 40)
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Government response AI summary
The government recognizes the need for a long-term retrofit program and has committed £13.2 billion to the Warm Homes Plan for 2025/26-2029/30, addressing simplified eligibility and area-based retrofit, with further details on allocations to be set out by October this year.
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
5
Recommendation
1st Report - Retrofitting homes for net…
Accepted in Part
There is a clear need for a single, trusted source of free information and advice on home retrofit that can be accessed via multiple sources. Such provision already exists in Scotland and Wales but does not in England. Consumer advice should also be better embedded within communities and the Government …
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There is a clear need for a single, trusted source of free information and advice on home retrofit that can be accessed via multiple sources. Such provision already exists in Scotland and Wales but does not in England. Consumer advice should also be better embedded within communities and the Government should seek to encourage the sharing of experiences between neighbours and among the workforce to increase engagement around low carbon home retrofit. (Conclusion, Paragraph 51) 60
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the need for trusted advice and is streamlining existing digital services and a national phoneline into a single user journey. It is also exploring opportunities to work with local advice services, with further steps to be outlined in the Warm Homes Plan.
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
26
Recommendation
1st Report - Retrofitting homes for net…
Accepted in Part
We recommend that the Government resumes work undertaken by the previous Government to prepare a Net Zero and Nature Workforce Action Plan. This should be published by the end of 2025 and include a specific roadmap for meeting the skills needs of the home retrofit sector, including via the Growth …
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We recommend that the Government resumes work undertaken by the previous Government to prepare a Net Zero and Nature Workforce Action Plan. This should be published by the end of 2025 and include a specific roadmap for meeting the skills needs of the home retrofit sector, including via the Growth and Skills Levy mechanisms. It should also ensure that training courses and qualifications for heating engineers cover work on low carbon heating technologies as part of the core curriculum, rather than an add-on. This should be a cross-government endeavour with the Skills Minister accountable to ensure full engagement between the Office for Clean Energy Jobs, Skills England, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Education. Once it is fully established, Skills England should also prioritise the skills needs of the low carbon retrofit sector. (Recommendation, Paragraph 138)
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the need for a skilled supply chain and highlights significant investment through the Warm Homes Plan, plans to train 18,000 workers, new apprenticeships, and collaboration with Skills England and the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to address workforce challenges in net zero …
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
27
Recommendation
1st Report - Retrofitting homes for net…
Accepted in Part
The Government should increase the value of the Heat Training Grant to provide workers with full compensation for lost earnings when taking time off work to upskill on low carbon retrofit. This should take effect until market demand provides sufficient incentives for the workforce, supply chain and employers to self-fund …
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The Government should increase the value of the Heat Training Grant to provide workers with full compensation for lost earnings when taking time off work to upskill on low carbon retrofit. This should take effect until market demand provides sufficient incentives for the workforce, supply chain and employers to self-fund training. (Recommendation, Paragraph 139) 64
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Government response AI summary
The government announced an additional £5 million in funding for the Heat Training Grant this financial year and continues to work on ensuring its value for money. However, they are sceptical about plans to fully compensate installers for lost earnings due to concerns about complexity …
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
30
Recommendation
1st Report - Retrofitting homes for net…
Accepted in Part
We recommend that the Government introduces a national workforce accreditation scheme and a national contractor licensing scheme as a prerequisite for carrying out any retrofit work. These should be granted powers to revoke licenses or impose financial penalties for poor quality work and provide consumers with clear avenues for redress. …
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We recommend that the Government introduces a national workforce accreditation scheme and a national contractor licensing scheme as a prerequisite for carrying out any retrofit work. These should be granted powers to revoke licenses or impose financial penalties for poor quality work and provide consumers with clear avenues for redress. A small registration fee would help fund a national warm homes advice service, which would signpost consumers to certified workers. The national workforce accreditation scheme could replicate the successful model adopted by the Gas Safe Register. (Recommendation, Paragraph 161)
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Government response AI summary
The government announced an intention to conduct a sweeping overhaul of the system of standards, oversight, and consumer protections for retrofit. They are exploring a full range of options for a new system that ensures quality and clear redress, drawing insights from models like the …
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
31
Recommendation
1st Report - Retrofitting homes for net…
Accepted in Part
We found it incredible that the Residential Property Surveyors Association has reported that around 250,000 homes could be un-mortgageable due to spray foam insulation and that the accountability to remedy things remains unclear. We recommend that the Energy Company Obligation, as a policy to put responsibility on installers and commissioners …
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We found it incredible that the Residential Property Surveyors Association has reported that around 250,000 homes could be un-mortgageable due to spray foam insulation and that the accountability to remedy things remains unclear. We recommend that the Energy Company Obligation, as a policy to put responsibility on installers and commissioners for poor quality work, needs serious improvement. (Recommendation, Paragraph 162) 65
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the need for fundamental reform in quality assurance and consumer redress, stating that work is underway, and plans for root and branch reform will be set out in the Warm Homes Plan, including considering the future role of energy company obligations post-2026.
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero