Review of consumer protections for green upgrades
This week we joined Which?, Nationwide Building Society and Energy UK to call on the government to urgently review protections for consumers making green upgrades to their homes. In February, the Competition and Markets Authority recommended that the government take a more active role in improving the quality of protections afforded to consumers. A more robust protections framework can help to stamp out rogue traders, deliver consumer benefits and help unlock more private finance to upgrade homes by giving lenders confidence.
Read more about it in this LinkedIn post.
https://lnkd.in/e3iaQ-5g
📢 Today we have come together with Which?, Nationwide Building Society and Energy UK to call on the Government to urgently review protections for consumers making green upgrades to their homes.
A more robust protections framework can help to stamp out rogue traders, deliver consumer benefits and help unlock more private finance to upgrade homes by giving lenders confidence. ⤵
Welcome to see the likes of Which?Nationwide Building SocietyCitizens Advice and Energy UK pushing for consumer protection for green upgrades to homes.
Over the next 25 years, we're going to upgrade the building fabric and heating systems of more than 25 million homes in the UK (and a few million non-domestic properties as well). We'll see millions of homes switch to electric heating. That's a lot of physical changes in homes with a significant risk for poor quality installations and inappropriate advice.
People need confidence that companies installing measures such as insulation, heating appliances and solar panels are qualified and regulated. The PAS2030 and PAS2035 frameworks, which are currently limited in practice to government-funded retrofit schemes, could be a good starting point.
📢 Today we have come together with Which?, Nationwide Building Society and Energy UK to call on the Government to urgently review protections for consumers making green upgrades to their homes.
A more robust protections framework can help to stamp out rogue traders, deliver consumer benefits and help unlock more private finance to upgrade homes by giving lenders confidence. ⤵
The market for low carbon technologies is rapidly growing. The pace of innovation is accelerating and there is little regulatory protection for consumers. Additionally, information is often confusing or difficult to navigate, causing consumers to find it challenging to understand.
We are at a stage in the development lifecycle where early adopters will pave the way for mass roll out of these solutions. Ultimately, we need all consumers to benefit from affordable and accessible installs if net zero is going to be delivered in a fair way (in just 308 months......).
#netzero#innovation#lowcarbontechnologies#energytransition#sustainablefuture
📢 Today we have come together with Which?, Nationwide Building Society and Energy UK to call on the Government to urgently review protections for consumers making green upgrades to their homes.
A more robust protections framework can help to stamp out rogue traders, deliver consumer benefits and help unlock more private finance to upgrade homes by giving lenders confidence. ⤵
Top stories today
💧 Thames ‘hobbling on’ in hope of government intervention https://buff.ly/3SvhmpD
An intervention from government is now the only realistic way for Thames Water to solve its financial woes. That is according to a source close to the situation, who added that investors are increasingly unlikely to put more money into the company in its current guise. It comes after another bruising week for the UK’s largest water company.
🧑⚖️ GB Energy launch proves ‘Siemens Law’ always wins https://buff.ly/4d2bLzt
“Siemens Law” may continue to reign supreme in UK energy policy, but factories aren’t the only game in town. Writing for Utility Week, former Downing Street advisor Tara Singh argues that the challenge ahead for the government lies in crafting policies that balance job creation with cost-effectiveness and rapid implementation.
💷 Government’s 2030 targets ‘still unlikely’ despite beefed up CfD budget https://buff.ly/46wwKrn
The government’s ambition for a clean power grid by 2030 is still unlikely to be realised despite a beefed up Contracts for Difference (CfD) budget, industry experts have warned. It comes as the government announced that it is boosting the budget for allocation round six (AR6) by £500 million compared to the overall budget originally set by the previous government in March. Yet analysts at Aurora Energy Research believe the increased budget is unlikely to fully deliver The Labour Party's manifesto pledge around increasing renewable generation.
Some interesting points in here: my two questions would be:
1) If Government intervention is the only way that Thames Water can survive, why are the directors not facing wrongful trading charges if that does happen, as technically it's failed and the only solution being a government bailout?
2) When will people wake up that fully decarbonising the grid by 2030 is impossible? The grid infrastructure will simply not be there, I heard of a 32MW BESS site being told just last week that their initial connection date of no sooner than 2029 was being pushed back to 2037, and it's not even gone into NGESO PP yet. This is all down to under investment in NGESO over decades - mark my words there's going to be a call to take NGESO into state ownership - then we'll see that the bill to bring it up to standard for Zero Carbon will be £100Bn or even £200Bn, and we (the taxpayer) will have to pick up the tab.
Top stories today
💧 Thames ‘hobbling on’ in hope of government intervention https://buff.ly/3SvhmpD
An intervention from government is now the only realistic way for Thames Water to solve its financial woes. That is according to a source close to the situation, who added that investors are increasingly unlikely to put more money into the company in its current guise. It comes after another bruising week for the UK’s largest water company.
🧑⚖️ GB Energy launch proves ‘Siemens Law’ always wins https://buff.ly/4d2bLzt
“Siemens Law” may continue to reign supreme in UK energy policy, but factories aren’t the only game in town. Writing for Utility Week, former Downing Street advisor Tara Singh argues that the challenge ahead for the government lies in crafting policies that balance job creation with cost-effectiveness and rapid implementation.
💷 Government’s 2030 targets ‘still unlikely’ despite beefed up CfD budget https://buff.ly/46wwKrn
The government’s ambition for a clean power grid by 2030 is still unlikely to be realised despite a beefed up Contracts for Difference (CfD) budget, industry experts have warned. It comes as the government announced that it is boosting the budget for allocation round six (AR6) by £500 million compared to the overall budget originally set by the previous government in March. Yet analysts at Aurora Energy Research believe the increased budget is unlikely to fully deliver The Labour Party's manifesto pledge around increasing renewable generation.
Don't miss this April 16 webinar on the #InflationReductionAct Sec. 45L tax credit! If you're involved in building new multifamily housing or just interested, this one's for you.
Join us on April 16 for a webinar on the economics of using the Sec. 45L New Energy Efficient Home Tax Credit and other incentives to make multifamily housing both green and profitable.
Hear from housing developer Aspire Residential on the costs and benefits of meeting new incentive requirements under the Inflation Reduction Act and presentations from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) DOE on meeting ENERGY STAR and Zero Energy Ready Home program requirements for receiving the Sec. 45L credit.
Register today! #USGBCAdvocacyhttps://bit.ly/49roKI2
Green is BIG business these days. Demand isn’t only driven by consumers, it’s also sparked by government investment and regulation. We’ll see the impact of the Infation Reduction Act on the green economy for decades to come. Is your business on the profitable side of history?
Director of Corporate Sustainability at The Community Climate Collaborative
Quick IRA Update from USGBC. TLDR: lots of progress, ramping up quickly, some big items still to come. Make sure you're up to date! Check the article for some useful links.
Big things I'm watching for in 2024:
How do tightening battery-sourcing requirements for the EV credit impact the market and which vehicles are moving off lots?
Green Banks! Still so much unknown with how this $27B gets deployed.
Commercial EE Credit (179D) - guidance to get the credit through post-retrofit energy measurement, needs to be issued this year
Home Rebates (HER and HEAR) - heat pumps, insulation, windows, etc... These will be available through state energy programs in 2025, so we should hear a lot more specifics later this year.
#inflationreductionact#cleanenergy#energyefficiency#greenbuildingsThe Community Climate Collaborative, Jacqui Bauer, Susan Kruse, Caetano de Campos Lopeshttps://lnkd.in/e9c5ta-v
🏠 Residential landlords in England and Wales, did you know there’s funding available to help improve your property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating? These grants and loans can cover costs for upgrades like insulation, heating systems, and energy-efficient windows.
Boosting your EPC rating not only helps meet upcoming regulations but can also lower energy bills and increase tenant appeal🌍💡
Check with local councils or government schemes for available funding options.
#LandlordTips#EPCFunding#EnergyEfficiency#SustainableRenting
We can't tax ourself back to sustainability - Carbon Tax, Sun Tax...it's tax transition plan - little to do with addressing climate change. Under the new fee, solar panel owners who send extra electricity back to the grid at peak times will actually be charged for the privilege.
#solarpanels#climatechangehttps://lnkd.in/dHexjQsq
