Bureaucratic ineptitude ruined the U.K.’s disastrous home retrofit program, and the U.S. could draw valuable lessons from the debacle.
Last summer the U.K. unveiled a “build back better” economic stimulus package that was centered around a $2 billion program to retrofit homes. The program was supposed to fund energy efficiency and clean heat upgrades in 600,000 homes, but it was canceled recently after a six-month effort that may have killed more jobs than it created.
The Green Homes Grants program allowed most U.K. homeowners and landlords to receive up to about $6,900 to help pay for insulation, electric heating systems, and other energy-efficient upgrades such as new windows, doors, and heating controls. Low-income homeowners were eligible for up to nearly $14,000.
But, in order to apply, building owners had to obtain a quote from an accredited installer—few of which existed. Installers were reluctant to go through the time-consuming and expensive process of getting accredited without a longer-term assurance that there would be work. Program administrators often rejected quotes for being too high, asking applicants to provide more details or seek out additional estimates. Many homeowners dropped their retrofit plans as a result.
Retrofitting homes is a major part of the Biden Administration’s $2 trillion American Jobs Plan aimed at economic recovery from the COVID-19 recession. The administration can look across the Atlantic as a lesson on how to avoid failure.
Related Stories
| Oct 31, 2012
Construction error suspected in Miami-Dade College garage collapse
A construction error is the chief suspect in the partial collapse of a parking garage at Miami-Dade College in Doral, FL.
| Oct 31, 2012
New European laws on timber will go into effect in March 2013
A new European Union timber regulation prohibits the “placing on the market of illegally harvested timber or timber products derived from such timber.”
| Oct 31, 2012
MIT models show roofs' capacity for solar energy in Cambridge, Mass.
A new mapping tool from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Boston design firm can calculate rooftops' capacity for solar energy.
| Oct 31, 2012
Demand for living roofs, walls to reach $7.7 billion by 2017
The demand for green roofs and living walls is expected to climb from $5.3 billion in 2011 to $7.7 billion in 2017, according to a report from Lux Research.
| Oct 25, 2012
Philadelphia councilmen move to crack down on contractors working without licenses, permits
Two Philadelphia city councilmen are trying to crack down on the "underground economy" of developers and contractors who work without licenses and permits, pay cash under the table, and operate unsafe job sites.
| Oct 25, 2012
OSHA and NIOSH offer Spanish version of nail gun safety document
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have made available a Spanish version of “Nail Gun Safety - A Guide for Construction Contractors.”
| Oct 25, 2012
AGC holding webinar on sequestration’s potential impacts on the construction industry
AGC will hold a free webinar on sequestration and its potential impact on federal construction contractors on Nov. 7.
| Oct 25, 2012
Nashville providing incentives for green roofs
The city of Nashville, Tenn., is promoting the installation of green roofs through a measure providing a $10 reduction in a property's sewer fees for every square foot of vegetative roof.
| Oct 25, 2012
Net Zero buildings will use operating systems like computers to save energy
As buildings become more efficient and begin to use distributed electricity generation, they will need to become “smarter,” using operating systems much as a computer does.
