The Environmental Audit Select Committee of the House of Commons, whose role it is to hold the Government to account by auditing the performance of all Government policies and programmes against sustainable development and environmental protection targets.
This morning they released a letter in which they have torn into the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for its failure to meet any of the targets for the Green Homes Grant.
"At the current rate, it would take over 10 years to meet the Government’s target to issue vouchers to 600,000 households." wrote Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, the committee's chairman.
Considering there are less than 8 weeks until the scheme reaches the original date it was set to end on, and there have been 31 weeks since it was announced , the committee seem less than impressed by the disclosure 2 weeks ago that only 20,000 vouchers had been issued to homeowners.
The Chairman while commending the concept of the scheme was critical of its delivery "The principle of the Green Homes Grant should be commended. It is a timely initiative not only to boost energy efficiency of homes – which is urgently needed to stem carbon emissions – but to address our growing unemployment crisis triggered by the pandemic. But unless overhauled and further extended, this scheme will fail to deliver its ambition.
Issuing vouchers is continuing at snail’s pace, with only 20,000 of the 600,000 target issued four months in – at this rate it will take over 10 years to fulfil the Government’s expectation. Many of the builders and installers that can do the work are in limbo as a result of the time taken to approve applications, and perversely we have heard evidence some are having to lay off skilled workers as orders have been stalled pending confirmation of vouchers.
 
This scheme has good potential. But it needs a radical overhaul now the scheme has been extended. It must streamline the application process by removing unnecessary bureaucracy and must make sure the supply of skills meets the demand that 600,000 vouchers, and a further boost by the Chancellor in the March Budget, would drive. By doing so, it could make large strides towards meeting other Government commitments, such as installing 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028.”
Installers reading these words can perhaps see that someone is finally taking notice of what they have been telling BEIS for months, but it is sad that this potentially great scheme is in this current situation.
The Comments of the committee chairman can be read in full on the Parliament website
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/news/139044/green-homes-grant-voucher-target-would-take-over-10-years-to-meet/