A new national network says it will make it easier for heating and gas engineers to tap into the government's green initiatives.

Futureproof, launched by building services company, AP Mitchell, allows installers to grow their businesses by enabling them to draw down Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) funding and access Green Deal finance. 

It costs £40 a month to become a Futureproof installer and, by joining the network, engineers will also be able to take advantage of many other benefits, including:

Director of AP Mitchell, Adam Mitchell, explained that as the company is PAS 2030 certified, there is no need for engineers to worry about investing time or money securing this accreditation for themselves.

“Instead, they can sign up to be part of a national brand and start receiving jobs and earning money straightaway,” he said.

The ECO is the grant-funded element of the government’s Green Deal. Under ECO, the Big Six energy suppliers are obliged to pay for home insulation and heating for the poorest and most vulnerable householders and hardest to treat properties. The scheme allows many people on low income or benefits to have new A-rated boilers installed for free.

The Green Deal aims to increase energy efficiency for 14 million households by offering homes and businesses around 50 energy efficient measures at no upfront cost. All loans are attached to the property rather than the individual homeowner and can be structured over 25 years and repaid through the savings made on electricity bills. The Green Deal’s “Golden Rule” states that the homeowner will not pay back any more than they make in energy bill savings.