The National Home Improvement Council has today published a landmark new report:
Protect What Matters: Financial Protection Mechanisms in Home Improvement.
The report highlights the growing financial risks faced by homeowners undertaking retrofit and renovation works — including lost deposits, non-completion, and contractor insolvency, and calls for urgent, coordinated action to raise standards, reduce harm, and rebuild consumer trust.
Developed in collaboration with members of the NHIC Financial Protection Working Group, including financial protection providers, redress schemes, trade bodies, and sector experts, the report outlines practical measures that government and industry can adopt to embed greater resilience and confidence in the home improvement journey.
Anna Scothern, Chief Executive of the NHIC, said:
“This report marks a significant step forward in reducing risk and increasing trust for homeowners. Consumers deserve to feel confident when improving their homes, and this work provides a roadmap to help industry and government make that a reality.”
Key recommendations include:
- Establishing a minimum protection standard across the sector
- Creating a national register of approved financial protection schemes
- Introducing clearer consumer-facing Key Facts documentation
- Improving redress coordination between schemes and ombudsman services
Jon Vanstone, Chair of the NHIC and the Financial Protection Working Group, added:
“As Chair of the NHIC and the Financial Protection Working Group, I believe this report is a timely and practical contribution to safeguarding consumers and rebuilding trust in the home improvement sector. Clear, consistent financial protections are essential if we’re serious about driving uptake of retrofit measures and delivering net zero fairly. These recommendations offer a pathway to stronger protections without adding unnecessary burden, supporting households, small businesses and the wider market alike.”
The report will be formally presented to the Construction Leadership Council RMI on 22 July 2025 and has already been shared with government departments, regulators, and key sector stakeholders as part of a coordinated engagement campaign.
The publication forms a core output of NHIC’s wider Protect What Matters initiative — part of The Home Is Where Our Heart Is campaign, marking 50 years of home improvement.
We invite industry bodies, trade associations, and financial protection providers to support the recommendations and help drive adoption across the sector. A media and stakeholder toolkit is available on request.