Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he will take steps to provide redress to people whose (a) property values or (b) access to mortgage finance has been impacted by spray foam insulation installed using a Green Homes Grant Voucher.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has worked with the insulation industry and lending community to address concerns relating to spray foam. Protocols were published in March 2023 to support surveyors to assess spray foam, provide reassurance to lenders, and inform consumers.
While the Department cannot comment on the decisions made by individual lenders, the presence of spray foam should not automatically prevent lending. Decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis following a survey. Recent indications are that most mortgage lenders no longer have blanket policies on spray foam insulation.
Any borrower seeking to take out a mortgage may find it useful to shop around and speak to a mortgage broker to find the best possible product for them.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what data his Department holds on the number of homes that used Green Homes Grant vouchers for spray foam insulation.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A breakdown of measures installed under the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme can be found in the Green Homes Grant evaluation report: www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-homes-grant-voucher-scheme-evaluation.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the (a) voucher approval, (b) issuance and (c) payment processes for the Green Homes Grant.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
An evaluation of the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme was published in November 2023 under the previous Government. It can be found on GOV.UK: www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-homes-grant-voucher-scheme-evaluation.
Further evaluation of the scheme will support the delivery of future schemes under the Warm Homes Plan, which will be upgrading up to 300,000 homes next year alone.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department has taken to (a) identify and (b) notify people who may have had spray foam installed through a Green Homes Grant about (i) potential damage caused by spray foam to their property and (ii) the potential impact of spray foam installation on their ability to secure a mortgage.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme required that consumers seek advice from a suitably qualified TrustMark registered installer before they applied for a voucher. It also required that installations meet Publicly Available Standard (PAS) 2035.
If a homeowner believes that any installation work carried out in their home under a government scheme is faulty, they should first contact the installer. The TrustMark website contains further guidance on steps consumers can take if things go wrong (https://www.trustmark.org.uk/homeowners/if-things-go-wrong). If a product has been installed to the standard it should not require removal.
A surveyor should be able to use the published inspection protocol (https://www.property-care.org/resources/spray-foam-insulation-inspections) to make an assessment as part of the mortgage lending process.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of complaints to the Trustmark scheme in relation to the Green Homes Grant scheme have been upheld; how much compensation has been paid to Green Homes Grant recipients due to upheld complaints to the Trustmark scheme in total; and how many Green Homes Grant recipients have since received compensation due to an upheld complaint.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The department does not hold the Trustmark complaint data regarding the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of off-grid energy infrastructure.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are taking a strategically planned approach to build a larger, modern and efficient energy grid. We will use a holistic design coordinating and balancing on and off grid infrastructure.
Support is currently available for off-grid households which provides energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating measures to low-income households.
Our Warm Homes Plan will go further to transform homes across the country.