Marcus Jefford, Managing Director at estimating service Build Aviator, which works in partnership with Jewson, examines the new Great British Insulation Scheme and how it supports builders working on energy efficiency projects.
Dubbed ‘Green Day’, at the end of March the government made a series of announcements to revamp its energy efficiency strategy and provide homeowners with information on how they can improve their property’s carbon footprint.
One of the biggest announcements of the day was that of the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS), which aims to offer better energy efficiency measures to homes across the country.
At its heart, the GBIS contains many of the original principles of Eco+, which was supposed to come into effect in April this year. As with Eco+, GBIS is designed to improve the energy efficiency of homes in England, Wales and Scotland with low EPC ratings located in lower Council Tax band areas. To qualify for the GBIS, people must live in a property with an EPC rating of D or lower. In England, the home must fall within Council Tax bands A-D, while in Scotland it’s Council Tax bands A-E, and Wales A-C.
GBIS is now intended to launch in the summer and the government says it is set to benefit an additional 300,000 homes by March 2026.
While plans to improve the energy efficiency of homes, help people manage their bills and reduce carbon emissions are welcome news, will it lead to new opportunities for installers and builders?
Impact on the trades
The issue of rising energy prices has made people consider how they use their homes, encouraging many to look at ways to reduce their energy use. In fact, research from Jewson’s recent Trade Trends report found over a third (35%) of tradespeople have recently been asked by customers about improvements that could make their home more energy efficient.
And it doesn’t stop at homeowners, either. According to Jewson’s research, half of all tradespeople are concerned about the environment and sustainability, and 31% have changed the materials they use in line with new Building Regulations, which are due to be enforced on 5th June 2023, such as those available in its Making Better Homes range.
There is clearly an appetite from the public to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, as well as from tradespeople to carry out projects to achieve that. But the scheme has already been delayed by several months, with no set start time other than ‘this summer’. Some worry this could force homeowners who have already earmarked eco projects for this year to put them back, which will have a knock on effect to tradespeople’s workloads. On the positive side, though, the slight delay enables the industry to be more prepared and understand how it could benefit their business.
Making better homes
Although insulation is a key part of making sure homes are more energy efficient, it’s only part of the solution when making homes not just more sustainable, but more comfortable too.
In properties that aren’t properly insulated, about a quarter of the heat is lost through the roof, and about a third through the walls. But insulation isn’t enough on its own. For example, if a house gets new insulation, thought also needs to be given to ventilation. Without it, issues like mould and health problems for the occupiers, including allergies and breathing problems, can arise. To help with this, services like Build Aviator – available to Jewson customers and the wider industry – are available so that tradespeople can ensure the correct ventilation is installed alongside various types of insulation.
But this aside, each property – depending on its age, location, layout and the materials used to build it in the first place – will have its own priorities when it comes to the best way to improve its energy efficiency. This requires tradespeople to have knowledge of all the solutions available, as well as the relevant Building Regulations and initiatives available, so they can recommend a holistic approach to their customers’ home improvement projects.
Alongside the GBIS, the government has also recently announced a £30m Heat Pump Investment Accelerator and Boiler Upgrade Scheme; the removal of levies on electricity bills to make them cheaper; an investment of more than £380m to increase EV charging points, and plans to generate alternative energy source including hydrogen and nuclear. How these programmes come to be developed in the future remains to be seen.
As the government’s energy efficiency strategy continues to evolve, our job will be to continue promoting the latest innovations in building products and services in the building sector to help tradespeople maximise quality, productivity and profit during energy efficient home improvements.
