New research by plumbing and heating trade supplier City Plumbing suggests that there’s a big opportunity for tradespeople who are able to respond to homeowners who want to take advantage of the government’s Green Homes Grant. According to the survey of 1000 homeowners living in England, 8 out of 10 (84%) are planning to make their main residential property more energy efficient in the next 12 months, and two-thirds (67%) are aware of the financial assistance that the Green Homes Grant could offer them.
The scheme, which currently ends in March 2021, allows qualifying homeowners and landlords in England to apply for a voucher valued at up to £10,000. This can be used to help cover some of the cost of installing a variety of ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ energy efficient upgrades such as insulation, triple glazing, and heat controls. However, installers must be registered to TrustMark and, when installing low carbon heating measures, must also be Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accredited to take part.
More than a quarter (28%) of those considering eco improvements intend to use the scheme to help cover the cost, while almost one in ten (7%) are already underway with energy efficient changes that have been partially funded by the Green Homes Grant.
The study also highlights that the likelihood of using the Grant appears to increase with the property value. Just one in five (22%) homeowners with a property valued at £101-£200k plan to use it, versus three in five (61%) of those with a home valued at £600k or more.
Homeowners who are underway with a large-scale property build project are most interested in solar thermal (20%), air source heat pumps (20%), ground source heat pumps (13%) and biomass boilers (10%). On the other hand, homeowners who are extending their existing property are most interested in underfloor heating (23%), double or triple glazing (15%), a hot water tank thermostat (12%) and a hybrid heat pump (11%).
Over half of the homeowners surveyed (53%) said that they would make these green home enhancements in order to reduce their energy bills, while more than four in ten (44%) said they would do it as ‘it is important for the environment’.
While the research shows the demand for accredited installers, in some instances, homeowners reported that qualified tradespeople have been hard to find. Of those who are already underway with an eco-home project, almost one in five (16%) had not been able to find a suitable tradesperson to do the work on their property, whilst a further 18% had found a suitable tradesperson within 50 miles of their home, but they weren’t available to do the work in the desired timeframe. Less than a third (28%) had been able to find a suitable tradesperson within 50 miles of their home who was available to do the work when they wanted.:
Steve Alldritt, technical director of City Plumbing’s Energy Efficiency Team, comments: “For homeowners, making energy efficient changes saves money in the long run, reduces environmental impact and can even make a property more appealing to future buyers. It really is a ‘win-win’ situation – particularly while the government’s Green Homes Grant can help to cover the initial installation costs. The research shows that demand for ‘green’ upgrades is high, whether it be low carbon heating, biomass boilers or heating controls. The opportunity is there for tradespeople to cash in on, but time is of the essence.”
City Plumbing has created a guide for installers that helps explain the support and advice available from the company and how installers can increase their sales through the scheme: a guide for installers
