Insulate - The Essential Insulation Magazine - May 2018

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Insulate Columnist
Can the New Eco3 Scheme
Deliver on its promises?
Simon Storer, Chief Executive of Insulation Manufacturers Association (IMA)
It seems that barely a week goes by without a consultation coming out of Westminster and this month has been no
different. One of these has been the publication of the Government’s plans for the third round of funding under
the Energy Company Obligation - informally known as ECO3.
The ECO scheme initially began in 2013 and since then has delivered around two million energy
efficiency measures. The current phase is due to end in September this year with ECO3 taking its
place and running until 2022.
So What’s New? Some of the Key Changes are:
• Socussing entirely on low income and vulnerable households
• Supporting low income vulnerable households not in receipt of means tested benefits
• Focussing on first time central heating installations and removing funding for oil-fuelled systems
• Ensuring that 15% of the delivery measures are to rural areas
• The desire to introduce new and innovative energy saving measures
It would be hard to argue against any
of these changes; they are aspirational
in trying to bring people out of fuel
poverty and to provide a more
comfortable and healthier environment
for dwelling occupants.
However, the key to success will be
in taking a holistic approach to the
energy efficiency of each building,
installing more than one measure
where appropriate and being able
to offer installations by competent
tradespeople backed up with
guarantees. This is why the link to
the Each Home Counts initiative is
so important in order to ensure that
precious resources are not wasted on
shoddy installations resulting in poor
performing homes which later need
to be corrected. It is also important
not to lose sight of the consumer in
all of this. Multiple measures could
mean multiple interruptions for
surveys and installations, different
people in and out of their homes
which many may not be comfortable
with. This all needs to be carefully
managed and balanced and ways
sought to minimise disruption whilst
optimising the benefits.
Of course, we need to ensure that
one of the key opportunities isn’t
missed and that is to ensure that the
fabric of the building is as thermally
efficient as it can be before installing
other measures. So proposals, such
as one to ensure insulation measures
are installed when replacing broken
heating systems seem very sensible.
However, it is disappointing to see a
proposed reduction in the number of
solid wall insulation (SWI) installations
of c4,000 per year, purely based
on cost factors. Surely it’s better
to ensure that more homes are well
insulated rather than trading off on
other measures?
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