Building Support: Improving consumers' experiences of energy efficiency schemes

Building Support: Improving consumers' experiences of energy efficiency schemes 4.66 MB

Upgrading our homes to make them more energy efficient can cut households’ bills, improve people’s health and wellbeing, and will be central to meeting our net zero goals. But upfront cost is a key barrier to retrofitting homes, meaning that funded upgrades through Government energy efficiency schemes will be vital to deliver improvements to the homes that need them most.

New Citizens Advice research has found that existing energy efficiency schemes such as ECO4 and GBIS can provide life-changing improvements to consumers who engage with them successfully. But some consumers may be unable to access schemes due to low awareness, varying experiences of the process and a lack of support.

With key schemes coming to an end in 2026, we're calling for the Government to consider how to make sure positive consumer outcomes are central to the design of future schemes. We recommend:

• Boosting awareness of energy efficiency schemes by improving information and simplifying schemes.

• Making consumers' experiences of schemes more consistent and protecting those who make changes to their homes.

• Giving consumers access to independent and personalised advice throughout the process.