CIOB responds to governnment inquiry into energy efficiency of homes

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has responded to the Environmental Audit Committee’s inquiry into the energy efficiency of existing homes, calling on Government to implement a long-term national retrofit agenda as a key part of its Industrial Strategy.

Government support for this agenda and a clear direction of travel for the construction industry will, the CIOB believes, help provide the certainty that businesses need to create stable, green jobs beyond 2021. The industry is ideally placed to help kickstart the UK economy following the Covid-19 pandemic, and thought must be given to how it can facilitate a clean, fair and sustainable recovery. Retrofit work is labour intensive and grounded in local supply chains, making it ideal as a mechanism to help maximise employment, support regional growth and provide opportunities for training and retraining in low-carbon construction skills.

The CIOB welcomes the Chancellor’s recent announcement of a £2 billion ‘Green Homes Grant’, which will provide up to £5,000 for each household to spend on energy-saving home improvements in 2020-21. While this is a positive first step, it will need to be supported with long-term effort, monitoring and oversight in order to provide the best solutions for maintaining and improving the built environment.

The CIOB encourages the Government to revisit the findings of the Each Home Counts review, particularly the establishment of a quality mark for all energy efficiency and renewable energy measures and companies operating in this sector. It is equally vital that TrustMark is adequately resourced to oversee and enforce quality control for all firms carrying out retrofit work.

A full link to the CIOB's response can be accessed here.