Two studies out today show retrofitting as expensive and, in some cases at least, of poor quality.
The first, from Uswitch, shows that most landlords and other home owners are turned off the idea of retrofitting to improve energy efficiency because of the sky high costs. The government is already pumping £13.2 billion of public money into to retrofitting, yet 61% of homeowners say the high cost of energy measures is the reason they are not doing more.
A survey of 1,000 homeowners by Uswitch revealed that 55% have made some improvements to reduce energy consumption in their homes but only 33% are considering significant retrofitting.
The cost of retrofitting depends on the scale of work ranging from smart heating controls up to the installation of solar panels, heat pumps and improved wall and floor insulation. But some 71% of over-55s believed that cost is the biggest obstacle.
Younger homeowners are more open to green improvements in their homes. Those aged 25 to 35 were most motivated by potential savings on energy bills, with 71% stating they would retrofit their home if financial support was available.
When it comes to improving homes for potential sale, more than half (55%) feel that retrofitting would boost appeal to buyers. Research found that almost three in five (57%) would pay more for a house with renewable or low-carbon energy sources. The same survey found a quarter (25%) would be willing to spend between £15k and £25k extra for a green property, with more than one in 10 (11%) willing to pay more than £45k extra.
Almost two in five (39%) homeowners feel that their local council doesn’t provide enough information and support about retrofitting.
The city-level data shows that residents thought that their councils did not provide enough information, with Edinburgh (48%), Belfast (47%), Nottingham (46%), Leeds (45%) and Glasgow (43%) experiencing significant dissatisfaction.
Nearly half of UK respondents (49%) stated that retrofitting is important for reducing carbon emissions and helping the UK hit zero. The lack of information and guidance is a concern, suggesting Brits lack the knowledge of retrofitting and its benefits.
The Uswitch data comes on the day that the second study, by the National Audit Office, announces failures in the government’s energy efficiency scheme for homes, include poor-quality installations, weak government oversight and inadequate audit and monitoring- leading to tens of thousands of households needing repair work to correct major issues that will cause problems such as damp and mould.
The government’s Energy Company Obligation scheme aims to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions in Great Britain by requiring energy companies to fund the installation of energy efficiency measures, such as insulation, in homes.
But poor installation work has resulted in an estimated 22,000 to 23,000 homes with external wall insulation fitted under the scheme (98% of the total) and 9,000 to 13,000 homes with internal insulation (29% of the total) having major issues that need fixing. A small percentage of these installations also pose immediate health and safety risks.
Possible explanations why so many installations have been carried out to such a poor standard include an under-skilled workforce, with work being subcontracted to individuals and firms who are not competent or certified; uncertainty over which standards apply to which jobs; and businesses ‘cutting corners’ when undertaking design and installation work.
The NAO says reasons for the ECO scheme’s shortcomings include weak government oversight resulting in widespread issues with the ECO scheme not being identified sooner; an overly complex consumer protection system that ultimately failed due to unclear and fragmented roles, responsibilities and accountabilities; and insufficient audit and monitoring, in part due to weaknesses that allowed installers to ‘game’ the system.
In response to the NAO report the head of the consumer body HomeOwners Alliance has branded the waste of public money as “an absolute disgrace.”
Paul Higgins comments: “Once again, public money has been used to fund cowboy builders, leaving homeowners with damp, mouldy and unsafe homes. The National Audit Office report lays bare how weak oversight and a broken consumer protection system have failed the very people these schemes were meant to help. It’s yet more evidence that the government must act urgently to regulate and license builders and installers … Without proper regulation, homeowners will never have the confidence to invest their hard-earned money in improving their homes.
“We fear this is only the tip of the iceberg. External and internal wall insulation account for just 8% of installations under these schemes, leaving 92% still unexamined. We urge the Government to take action on these other measures.”
This article is taken from Landlord Today