The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the competition regulator in the UK. It's currently looking for information from consumers about the challenges you face when you're buying, or considering buying, insulation and low-carbon heating products.
It's also asking traders who work in these fields for their expert insights into what does and doesn't work well for consumers.
There is growing interest in products such as insulation, heat pumps and solar panels, as people seek to reduce their energy bills and do their bit to tackle climate change.
Buildings currently account for 17% of the UK's carbon emissions, so as well as the benefit of energy cost savings associated with moving away from the traditional gas and electricity grids, these products will also become increasingly important as the government tries to reach its target of having net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
However, choosing and installing these products is far from simple for consumers. The CMA's survey asks consumers, businesses and organisations with experience of these issues for their insights, so that the regulator can better understand the consumer protection issues involved.
If you've been thinking about installing low-carbon technology but been put off along the way, or have had some installed and would like to comment on the process, it's an opportunity to have your voice heard and make improvements to the way the market is run.
You can have your say by answering the CMA's survey here: fill out the questionnaire.
The deadline for Which? members and Which? Trusted Traders is Friday 4 November. Find out more about what you'll be asked about below.
Consumer protection in green heating and insulation: a call for information
The CMA's questionnaire should take around 10-15 minutes to complete. You don't need to answer all the questions - just the sections that are relevant to your own experiences.
They want to hear from consumers who have either bought or considered buying any of the following products in the last two years. You'll be asked how you found the market and whether you came up against any barriers or concerns.
- Biomass boilers
- Heat pumps
- Home insulation
- Home solar energy
- Hydrogen-ready boilers
If you own or work for a business that sells or leases any of the green heating or insulation products above, the CMA has a separate survey for businesses that will ask you for your expert insight into this market. It should take around 10 minutes to complete.
Fill out the CMA's business survey.
What are the barriers to energy efficiency for you?
At Which? we know that this market has a few obvious challenges. For starters, few people have any prior knowledge of these products when they go to buy them, as they aren't something you buy everyday. Many of the products are relatively new, so you may not even have friends, family or neighbours with experience of installing and using them to ask for advice and recommendations.
On top of that, the biggest barrier that people tell us about is cost. Although some of the easier-to-access insulation - loft insulation, for example - is quite affordable, on the whole these projects are a considerable investment. More significant insulation projects, new low-carbon heating systems or solar panels all come with sizable up-front costs.
Although the pay-back periods are shortening as a result of rising energy prices, that initial cost is a major challenge. It's not something you want to get wrong - so it's clear people need more help figuring out exactly what's best for their home and where to spend their money.
On top of all that, many of these projects can include considerable disruption to your home. Finding a trader that you can trust to do a good job quickly has also emerged as a challenging area. There are a number of schemes and codes available that aim to raise standards and support consumers in making a choice, however the overall picture can be very confusing and we know consumers find this a difficult and stressful process.
It's for these reasons, and more, that we asked the CMA to take a closer look at where the issues are in this market and how consumers can be better protected.
If you have thoughts about your own experiences, now's the time to share them. Your insights could mean that valuable improvements are made for future customers. The deadline for Which? readers to fill it out is 4 November 2022.
Fill out the CMA's consumer survey.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/have-your-say-how-well-are-consumers-protected-when-buying-insulation-and-low-carbon-heating-alXhH7n5qKat