Today, TrustMark announced the introduction of its new Licence Plus Scheme, which aims to increase the number of quality retrofit energy efficiency improvement projects in the millions of UK homes needing an upgrade.

In the UK, over 19 million homes have an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D or below. These must be upgraded to at least a C rating to help the UK meet its climate change obligations and make homes warmer to operate. 

This, along with the continued rise in energy costs, has resulted in a considerable and growing need for companies capable of doing these tasks to the highest quality standards.

Simon Ayers, chief executive officer of TrustMark, notes, “While the package outlined by the Chancellor to control energy rates is helpful, people continue to incur rising energy bills.” For millions of houses, a significant portion of this already-paid-for energy is wasted. Improving energy efficiency through quality retrofitting is essential to reducing this load, but it must be carried out by skilled tradespeople adhering to measured criteria to guarantee that the end result meets the requirements.

The demand for businesses has never been greater, and it will only increase due to The Chancellor’s announcement on Friday. Which brings forward new obligations on energy suppliers worth £1 billion. With additional amounts anticipated to begin in April 2023. This demand and the current skills gap necessitate a search for more comprehensive solutions. We believe the Licence Plus Scheme can contribute to this solution.”

TrustMark is the only Quality Scheme authorized by the government for work performed in or around the home.

TrustMark is a not-for-profit social enterprise that operates throughout the UK and regularly re-invests in a scheme to support Providers and Registered Businesses in improving consumer protection and industry-wide standards. Following the Each Home Counts review in 2016, TrustMark has increased its scope to include all Repair, Maintenance, Improvement, Energy Efficiency, and Retrofit metrics.  As of 1 July 2021, TrustMark will be responsible for the Energy Company Obligation Technical Monitoring on behalf of Ofgem. 

This will be subject to TrustMark’s Quality Assurance Framework as of this date. TrustMark works under a Master Licence Agreement provided by the Department of BEIS.