The Government is facing claims that it has demonstrated outright incompetence in its handling of the Green Deal.
Commenting on the wholly unexpected closure of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund, three days after Ministers trumpeted its success, NLA Chief Executive Officer Richard Lambert said: "The Coalition’s flagship policy is now holed below the line and sinking fast.
It’s gone from an ambitious, visionary programme to improve the stock of private housing in the UK to a shambolic joke seemingly unlikely to benefit anyone."
Last week, the Government revealed that due to overwhelming popular demand, the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund is closed for applications with immediate effect.
A surge in applications over the last two days means the allocated budget has now been reached. All applications received prior to the fund closing that satisfy the terms and conditions and meet the eligibility criteria will be honoured at the original rates.
The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund was set up to help households in England and Wales improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change, Amber Rudd, said: “The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund is a world first and in a short space of time it has proved extremely popular.
“We were always clear there was a budget which is why we encouraged people to act quickly.
“As a result, thousands more families will now benefit from Government help to have warmer homes which use less energy.”
However, Mt Lambert said: “Having finally hit upon a policy which appeared both popular and effective at driving demand for the Green Deal, it is incomprehensible that they think anyone will welcome the news that the money for the year has run out after seven weeks.
“It is about time that DECC and the Treasury stopped playing around with short-term stop gaps and matched the commitment many landlords and tenants have shown to their energy efficiency policies. Whatever happened to the £30m of support the Chancellor promised to the private rented sector?
“The constant problems and apparent u-turns which have dogged the Green Deal have made a laughing stock of the Government and those of us in the industry who wanted to support a policy of positive change. This most recent blunder has left thousands of landlords and tenants with no clue as what to do next, whether the home improvements they need will be delivered, and by how much they will be left out of pocket.
“If ministers expect householders and the industry to take them seriously – when they have been repeatedly let down – we need a clear commitment to putting this right without delay.”