NIA calls for urgent action by Government as job losses among members nears 2,000

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 a survey which has revealed that around 2,000 jobs have been lost among NIA members as a direct result of cuts to the ECO and Green Deal combined with the current policy void.  

Neil Marshall said: “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. 

“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.   

“The job losses clearly demonstrate the scale of the problems facing the industry at present and we would urge DECC Ministers to work with the industry in putting in place urgent actions to address the crisis.”