http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/articles/i/5185/?cid=3

 

Service provider Gemserv has been appointed by the UK government as oversight body for its flagship Green Deal home energy efficiency scheme.

 

The role will entail the registration of assessors, installers and providers for the scheme, as well as monitoring their compliance against the government code of practice.

Gemserv and partners REAL won the three-year contract from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) after an open competition.

The two already operate the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) for DECC and will start on the Green Deal contract in early August ahead of the scheme's launch later in the year.

The government also confirmed yesterday that assessors, installers and providers registering to take part in the scheme will be able to do so for free during the first two years of operation.

But after three years, once the scheme is well established, it will move to a fee-based approach for registration and oversight. In the meantime, DECC will meet all the costs.

"No registration fees for the first two years will remove burdensome admin costs at a time when many can least afford them, helping encourage organisations to get onboard and offering more freedom of choice for consumers," commented Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker.

Meanwhile, Ombudsman Services Ltd has been appointed to act as the ombudsman and investigation service for the scheme, looking into customer complaints and setting redress where necessary.

The company provides a similar service for the energy supply and network industry and will have its service up and running by the time the scheme launches in October.

"The Green Deal is a new concept to householders. Consumers taking up the Green Deal can be confident that if something goes wrong they will have easy access to independent and effective redress," says chief ombudsman Lewis Shand Smith.