The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) consultation on reforming consumer protection for home upgrade schemes closed at 11:59pm on 10 September 20261. The consultation, published on 17 June 2026, sought views on how the consumer protection system for home upgrades should be reformed to support delivery of the Warm Homes Plan1. DESNZ states it is now analysing the feedback1.
The consultation set out three priorities for reform, first announced by the Minister for Energy Consumers in October 2025: work should be right first time; simplicity, so people are not expected to navigate a variety of organisations; and swift remediation with a straightforward process for redress1. The proposals put to respondents were:
- a single end-to-end consumer protection service, accountable to government and responsible for system oversight and performance, as well as advice, case management and support for consumers1
- strong binding agreements across the system to enforce delivery obligations and improve accountability for service quality, consumer experience and outcomes1
- a government-owned data system to support earlier identification of systemic risks, target audits and improve performance management1
- a publicly accessible register of installers and retrofit professionals approved to work on government schemes1
DESNZ said the consultation would interest the home upgrade sector, including those involved in the installation of solar panels, insulation, batteries and heat pumps, as well as consumers and groups representing consumer interests1. It stated that while work on government schemes is in most cases safe and carried out to a high standard, evidence of failings in Energy Company Obligation 4 and the Great British Insulation Scheme had highlighted weaknesses in the current consumer protection and oversight framework for home upgrades1.
"We're seeking views on how the consumer protection system for home upgrades should be reformed to support delivery of the Warm Homes Plan."
The consultation document runs to 80 pages1. The Warm Homes Plan, published in January 2026, commits £15 billion of public investment to support upgrades in up to five million homes, with the government estimating this will unlock around £38 billion of total investment2. Under existing scheme rules, installers delivering relevant DESNZ energy-efficiency measures must be certified to PAS 2030, installations must comply with PAS 2035, and installers must be TrustMark registered or meet equivalent requirements2.
Why it matters for households
Consumer protection determines what happens when a home upgrade goes wrong. The consultation's proposals bear on how a household finds an installer, who is accountable when work is defective, and how a complaint is pursued and remedied1. A single service and a public register of approved installers would change how households identify who is approved to work on government schemes, while binding agreements and a government-owned data system are intended to catch systemic risks earlier1. For a home's energy independence, the practical effect is on confidence in the measures themselves: insulation, solar panels, batteries and heat pumps are long-lived installations whose performance depends on design and workmanship, and the redress route behind them shapes the risk a household carries1. The consultation did not set out final policy; the reforms remain proposals at this stage1.
What happens next
DESNZ says it is analysing the feedback and directs readers to return to the consultation page to download the outcome1. No date for publication of the government response has been reported1.
Sources2 cited
- Reforming Consumer Protection for Home Upgrade Schemes - GOV.UK, gov.uk
- The Warm Homes Plan | Elmhurst Energy, elmhurstenergy.co.uk