Ministers have also announced that Ombudsman Services Ltd will act as the Ombudsman and Investigation service for Green Deal
Gemserv, together with its partner REAL, will be responsible for the registration of assessors, installers and providers and monitoring compliance with the Green Deal’s Code of Practice.
The service will commence in early August ahead of the staged introduction of the Green Deal later in the year.
The Government has also confirmed that will be no fees for assessors, installers and providers who wish to get the official Green Deal stamp of approval during the first two years of the scheme.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change will fund all costs associated with the registration and oversight service for the first two years, with the intention of moving to a fee-based approach from year three onwards.
Energy and climate change minister Greg Barker said he was “delighted” that Gemserv was taking on the key role of oversight body. “We need to make sure all the Green Deal assessors, installers and providers get our stamp of approval to ensure the highest level of consumer protection for householders and businesses under this scheme. I am delighted that Gemserv has risen to the challenge and is going to take on this very important role.”
David Thorne, the chief executive of Gemserv, said: “Gemserv will be able to draw on our strong experience of delivering the MCS scheme, maximizing the synergies, and we hope to begin discussions shortly with key industry participants to ensure we are prepared for the Green Deal’s launch.”
Chief Ombudsman Lewis Shand Smith said “We already provide the ombudsman service for the energy (supply and network) industry and its customers, so it makes sense for complaints about Green Deal providers to come to us. We’re looking forward to working with DECC on the details of the scheme.