Insulation industry Chief calls for urgent action by Government after Mark Group goes into administration

Neil Marshall, Chief Executive of the National Insulation Association has today repeated his call for the Government to fast track the development of its new long term, sustainable policy framework for home energy efficiency and introduce urgent transitional arrangements in the meantime to address the current hiatus within the market and industry.   The move comes following the announcement yesterday that the Mark Group, one of the UKs largest insulation installers has gone into administration resulting in over 900 job losses.  

“The changes made to the Energy Company Obligation scheme in 2014 coupled with Government decisions in July 2015 not to provide further funding to the Green Deal Finance Company and to end the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund with immediate effect without alternatives in place has resulted in a collapse in insulation activity levels.  The sad news of the Mark Group going into administration is a clear indication of the impact this is now having on the insulation industry”

“Whilst Government has outlined its intention to introduce a new long term policy framework for energy efficiency which we welcome, the insulation industry is currently in a state of crisis as a result of the absence of robust transitional arrangements to bridge the gap until the new polices and schemes are introduced.  Without urgent intervention there will be further casualties, job losses and a loss of confidence to invest among insulation companies all of which will  impact on the industry’s ability to  scale up to support the delivery of the Governments longer term ambitions”    

“Given yesterdays news which clearly demonstrates the scale of the problems facing the industry at present we would urge DECC Ministers to work with the industry in putting in place urgent actions to address the crisis”