Under the ECO, the Big Six energy suppliers are expected to invest around £1billion a year to provide almost 250,000 low income homes with free A-rated boilers and insulation.
But energy network, Futureproof, said the scheme was in danger of descending into ‘chaos’ because of the lack of a unified system to oversee the way consumers apply for the ECO through to how installers were paid for carrying out the work.
Adam Mitchell, a director of Futureproof, said there were many examples of gas heating engineers going unpaid by approved Green Deal providers for jobs they have completed or finding forms they have submitted for potential boiler replacements being rejected.
Mitchell said: “It is all very well the government talking about targets for the ECO and other government carbon reduction initiatives, but the reality is that the way in which it is administered needs to be overhauled.
“This is a scheme that is supposed to be helping some of our poorest households keep warm and become more energy efficient, while creating significant amounts of work for installers across the UK.”
He added: “But the problem at the moment is that the various parts of the process – consumers, installers, providers and energy companies – are not properly connected and therefore the scheme is in danger of descending into chaos.
“Only by putting in place a totally joined up and transparent system that works for everyone will ECO deliver the results the government hopes that it will.”