Parliamentary reporter @TrinderMatt

CAMPAIGNERS have condemned “cowboy politicians” for failing on climate change after it was revealed that a “green homes” initiative racked up administration costs of £1,000 per household.

A National Audit Office (NAO) report on the Tory government’s flagship green homes grant scheme found that it was rushed, caused frustration to homeowners and installers and failed to keep promises on carbon emissions reduction and job creation.

The six-month programme was launched in September last year as ministers looked to “grow back greener” from the Covid-19 pandemic, but it closed in March, having been extended and then curtailed again amid serious problems wth delivery. 

Some £1.5 billion was made available for vouchers worth up to £5,000 – £10,000 for people on low incomes – to pay for insulation and low-carbon heating of homes.

Ministers claimed the scheme would help 600,000 households and create 82,500 jobs, but official data shows it only helped an estimated 47,500 homes and supported just 5,600 jobs. 

More than £300 million of taxpayers’ money will have been spent once all work is complete – including £50.5m on programme administration – which equates to more than £1,000 per home upgraded, the watchdog said.

The scheme attracted high levels of demand, but thousands of homeowners and installers complained of delays in issuing vouchers and finding tradespeople with the specialist skills to install heat pumps. 

The NAO stressed that jobs might have been created more quickly in less-specialist areas such as installing new windows, while the initial plan for a two-year initiative would have allowed more time for creating new vacancies — but it was rejected by the Treasury.

Labour’s Meg Hillier, who chairs the public accounts committee, called on ministers to learn lessons as the scheme was “set up to fail, with an undeliverable timetable and overly complex design.”

Greenpeace UK policy director Doug Parr put the blame on “cowboy politicians, not cowboy builders.

“The scheme’s shoddy handling has left homeowners disappointed, businesses out of pocket, job promises unfulfilled and the UK no closer to decarbonising.”

Housing union Acorn told the Morning Star that the administration costs “would be laughable if it didn’t show clearly the dire situation we are in.

“The government needs to take serious action to retrofit homes and they need to introduce rent controls to ensure that any new scheme doesn’t simply become a cash transfer to wealthy landlords,” Acorn added.