Clarification on Green Homes Grant helps market get moving again says Eurocell CEO

Clarification has finally been achieved on the Government’s Green Homes Grant Scheme today – providing the green light for the window and door market to get back moving again.

Government has confirmed that ‘primary’ measures for the grant will include insulation and carbon heat measures. Households will need to install at least one of these before they’re able to use the voucher on ‘secondary’ measures, which include windows and doors. 

Homeowners will be able to replace single glazing with double or triple/secondary glazing, as well as upgrading to energy efficient doors. No double to double glazing upgrades will be included, meaning customers that had paused orders for this purpose will be able to place them again.

Eurocell plc, leading manufacturer, distributor and recycler of PVC-U windows and doors, joined other manufacturers including Safestyle, VEKA, Deceuninck and Duraflex, plus industry trade bodies, in lobbying Government for greater clarity around the scheme in July.

Commenting on the clarity achieved today, Mark Kelly, CEO at Eurocell plc, said: “We’ve been pleased to stand alongside other manufacturers and industry bodies to lobby Government for clarity over the past few weeks, in the campaign originally spearheaded by Roy Frost, CEO at GJB Window Systems.

“Although it’s taken longer than we’d hoped, it just shows the power of working together and using multiple voices to effect change. We now have that clarity and can start reinstating confidence to the market and convincing customers who were waiting to see if they could replace existing double with double glazing to start placing orders again.

“The government has put quality assurance at the heart of the scheme, stating that tradespeople must register for TrustMark or Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation to take part. Whilst we 100% support prioritising quality assurance and jobs being undertaken to the highest standard, we hope that any additional bureaucracy doesn’t lead to less work for smaller companies and installers.  

“The weeks since the announcement was made have been a real set back to the industry, but we’re resilient and can come back stronger. Now we have the clarity and know exactly where we’re at, Eurocell and our branch network, plus fabricators and installers alike, can return quickly to servicing the needs of our customers and building the sector back up.”