In theory the Green Deal was a winner. Launched in 2013, it offered households in the UK the funds to install new boilers and insulate their properties, saving money in the long term and cutting down on energy inefficiency.

But with less than 10,000 households signing up, issues of consumer protection following reports of scammers getting involved and installers being struck off for breaking the scheme’s code of conduct, its days were numbered.

And yet the idea is sound. Our housing stock is aging, wasteful and behind the times. Small scale sustainability measures are important ways of cutting bills and lessening environmental impact – we employ the same principles on our projects and can see great scope from a national roll out, if it can be set up in a more robust way.