Installers of insulation will have seven days to claim outstanding rebates for work completed prior to the closing of the program.

The news follows the recent announcement of an electrical safety inspection scheme for all homes that have had foil insulation installed under the Home Insulation Program.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett said in a statement that the changes have been made to boost safety for households and workers, and improve environmental performance.

“These changes will benefit good green businesses and are bad for the shonky operators who have begun exploiting this market,” said Mr Garrett.

The Renewable Energy Bonus scheme

Under the Renewable Energy Bonus scheme, households will be able to receive a $1,000 rebate for ceiling installation (reduced from $1,200) and solar hot water systems; and a $600 rebate for heat pumps systems.

The new rebate will be available for systems installed after Friday 19 February 2010.

Key changes to the delivery of ceiling insulation scheme include:

• Householders – rather than installers – will claim the $1,000 rebate directly through the Medicare system
• All installers will be required to reregister, pay a cash bond, show evidence of meeting the training and skills requirements and provide certified quality assurance and occupational health and safety plans
• A strengthened compliance regime that works together with State and Territory occupational health and safety and fair trading authorities.

The statement also said that the Government still aims for insulation to be installed in up to 1.9 million homes, including those already installed under the discontinued Home Insulation Program, and for this to be completed by 2011.

An external assessment of the proposed implementation arrangements for the household Renewable Energy Bonus scheme is being commissioned to consider whether the arrangements and planned timelines proposed for the scheme’s implementation are sufficient to meet the Government’s expectations of safety.

“The Government will also establish a new Home Insulation Program Review Office to handle all complaints and inquiries and immediately address risks created by unscrupulous operators and will appoint an independent reviewer to conduct a review of the Home Insulation Program design, implementation and delivery,” said Mr Garrett.

Significant changes to Green Loans Program

The original program offered assessments of household energy efficiency, as well as loans of up to $10,000 for improvements.

The re-design of the program will include:

• The discontinuation in March of the less popular loans component of the program to provide for increased resources for loans assessments
• A new cap of 5,000 assessors, allowing up to an extra 1,200 trained assessors to contract with the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
• A weekly cap of 15,000 assessment bookings and a daily and weekly cap per assessor of three and five respectively to ensure greater quality and a more even distribution of work for assessors
• Changed booking arrangements allowing only individual assessors to make bookings.

The new arrangements for the Green Loans Program will apply until the end of 2010. A new Green Start program will commence from 1 January 2011, the details of which will be finalised in the coming months.