The Licence Plus Scheme has been developed to work alongside PAS 2035 (Retrofitting Dwellings for Improved Energy Efficiency – Specification and Guidance) specifically in emerging markets where full PAS compliance is seen as a transitionary development, such as the green investment and lending areas.

The core of the scheme is to ensure that consumers who are investing in improving their properties consider the whole house fabric first principles, where compliance can be evidenced with an extended audit programme and compliance interventions. Consumer behaviour identifies a desire to improve their property more broadly than just energy efficiencies and heating requirements. A consumer's journey (the plan) must balance the desire to improve the living environment while ensuring that all the home improvement factors work together.

The Licence Plus Scheme does not replace or compete with PAS 2035 but aims to support new businesses with a positive adoption of its principles so that they can more readily transition towards it.

The Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), who sponsored the development of the PAS 2035 standard, confirm this is their preferred delivery method which remains a fixed requirement of Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) and the funded schemes such as the Local Authority Deliveries (LADS), Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, and Sustainable Warmth.

Outside these environments and where consumers are making decisions using their own funding routes, they may still choose to engage with PAS 2030 certificated businesses and PAS 2035 retrofit professionals.

Licence Plus works alongside some key principles of PAS 2035 by incorporating the following:

• A ‘whole-house’ assessment to evaluate the property and help understand whether multiple measures may be appropriate
• Ensuring customers have access to unbiased advice about measures that could be installed as part of their project so that they can make informed decisions
• The use of a process to manage works through a ‘whole house’ approach that considers ‘fabric first'
• Creates a pathway for tradespeople to engage with oversight, audit, and compliance processes where they may not have previously done so
• Complex measures and projects as defined in PAS 2035 can still follow PAS 2035 processes

The Licence Plus scheme recognises competence and registration at the start of the process, supports the delivery of quality work and has an audit and compliance regime to ensure the outcomes meet the expectations set.

The Licence Plus Scheme can provide a significant benefit by helping non-PAS 2030 certified TrustMark Registered Businesses, who have demonstrated their competence, to engage in a transitional adoption of whole house fabric-first retrofit.