Not a single home air conditioning unit has been installed under the Government’s £2,500 grant scheme seven months after it was announced, due to delays in the certification process.
Only 62 households applied for vouchers for air-to-air heat pumps, which provide both heating and cooling, during the first two months of the scheme opening, and no vouchers were issued.
Industry figures said the Government was “playing catch up” as the ongoing heatwave drives demand for air conditioning, particularly within vulnerable peoples’ homes.
They argued the lack of progress is due to delays in the installer accreditation process, with certification bodies still not having released the necessary documents for installers to be able to fit the units in homes.
The grant’s eligibility criteria has also been criticised for being too restrictive, as it is currently only accessible to homeowners who can afford to contribute towards the cost of the work themselves.
