The Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) has created a £125 million cashback pot for those taking up its flagship energy efficiency scheme.
However, Whitehead argued on his energy blog that the money would be better spent covering the upfront costs, which consumer groups have warned could put people off.
Some installers of insulation and other energy efficiency measures plan to charge up to £150 to assess a property. That will deter people from shopping around for quotes and may put them off altogether, said Whitehead.
“It would surely make more sense to give the customers the cashback on the assessment, rather than after all the work has been done and the supposed savings are kicking in anyway,” he said.
Cashback rates are guaranteed up to the first £40 million of funding. Whitehead urged government to use the remaining £85 million to pay for an estimated seven years’ worth of assessments.