Citizens Advice response to DESNZ’s consultation on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and certification requirements for clean heat schemes
Citizens Advice welcomes the opportunity to respond to DESNZ’s consultation on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and certification requirements.
In Part 1, we outline our views on DESNZ’s proposed changes to the BUS, including whether to allow property owners access to third-party ownership (TPO) products alongside the scheme.
We have included some interim findings from our forthcoming research on consumers' understanding of TPO models, what consumers feel they must offer to deliver value and the protections consumers would like to see.
For TPO models to be workable in the long term, consumers must have the right protections, access to independent advice and the products must deliver value. Without these, the reputation of these products, and low-carbon home upgrades more broadly, will be at risk.
In Part 2, we outline our views on the certification scheme requirements for government clean heat schemes.
We agree with the proposal to mandate MCS as the sole certification scheme for DESNZ clean heat schemes, with appropriate oversight. We also set out our views on the wider reforms needed to create a robust consumer protections framework under the BUS and across the low-carbon home upgrades market.