The chair of the Business Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee has warned government that it must ensure home owners are protected from shoddy workmanship as part of its plan to offer grants for green home improvements.

Labour MP Darren Jones has written to ministers welcoming the initiative but cautioning that previous schemes to introduce green improvements had left some home owners with serious problems that they were unable to rectify.

He writes: “We do, however, have some concerns in terms of the delivery of previous energy efficiency programmes which resulted in a number of consumers across the country being left with homes that suffered from inadequate work from suppliers who failed to meet required standards.

“Many of these consumers are still unable to get the redress they deserve.

“Whilst we recognise the importance of starting this program as quickly as possible, in order to get the most benefit from it as a vital fiscal stimulus, we do expect the government to ensure that adequate consumer protections years are built in from the start.”

“As you will know,  it will take many years to completely retrofit all of our buildings in the United Kingdom and so this issue has longer term implications.” 

Jones goes on to ask which regulator will have responsibility for consumer protection through the scheme and what alternative dispute resolution services will be available to home owners. 

He asks whether it would be a requirement for the scheme to signpost consumers to independent advice and how will the government ensure that traders do not inflate their prices to take advantage of those using the grants. 

Jones asks whether the government plans to find a way to monitor new companies joining the scheme to ensure that they are not rogue traders who have previously left the market.

He adds: “I’m sure you will agree that it would be entirely unacceptable to start this programme without building in the systems required to give consumers the confidence to take part in this important initiative.”