Sustain has announced that it will be partnering with Wolseley UK to launch a new Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) service, bringing energy efficiency to homes across the country.

The Plumb Center-branded scheme will be among the first in the UK, providing funding and support to some of those households most in need of energy efficiency measures through its extensive national network of customers.

Sustain has worked with Wolseley UK, a long-term client, for the past year to shape the scheme and secure Wolseley UK’s approval as a Green Deal Provider, applying the knowledge and experience gained through 15 years of delivering programmes such as the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP).

The Plumb Center/Sustain programme will deliver the Home Heating Cost Reduction (Affordable Warmth) element of ECO to fuel poor and vulnerable homeowners. Eligible households will be able to access free or low-cost energy efficiency measures including condensing boilers, and any householder worried about their energy bill or in possession of a broken boiler can contact any of the Gas Safe engineers that have completed the Plumb Center Green Deal training course. They will then have the Green Deal and ECO explained and their eligibility assessed before a full assessment of the property is undertaken. If the household or property is eligible for ECO subsidy, the energy efficiency measures may be installed free of charge.

Wolseley UK’s wider Green Deal and ECO programme includes accredited Plumb Center Green Deal Advisor training courses and Installer accreditation schemes, enabling thousands of skilled local tradesmen to access the energy efficiency market and offer a range of funding options to their domestic customers.

Tobias Parker, chief executive at Sustain, said: “We’re thrilled to announce the partnership between Wolseley UK and Sustain. We have a long track record of working together, bringing energy efficiency to homes through local tradespeople. We believe that this scheme will be a huge step forward in the delivery of domestic energy efficiency measures to those that need them the most.”

Simon Allan, renewables director at Plumb Center, commented: “We are committed to giving our Plumb Center customers easy access to the opportunities the Green Deal presents, whatever their size or location. We also want to play our part in ensuring that vulnerable and fuel-poor households can improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce their energy costs, which is why we are delighted to have forged this partnership with Sustain.”