16th December 2009 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
David Cameron’s pledge today that a Conservative government would kick start £20 billion of investment to makes homes greener and more energy efficient in a green partnership with Marks & Spencer and Tesco is a welcome boost to help transform Britain’s existing housing stock as well as creating much needed work in the building sector, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
Brian Berry, Director of External Affairs at the FMB said:
“If the UK is to have any hope of meeting its legal obligation to cut carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 then it is imperative that Britain’s existing homes are made more energy efficient as currently they contribute 27 per cent of the UK’s total carbon emissions.
Berry continued:
“The Conservative proposal to enable householders the opportunity to get £6,500 worth of energy efficiency measures is certainly a welcome boost. However, if we are to create the step change that is needed to transform our homes then a more realistic figure would be in the order of £15,000. A cut in VAT for property refurbishment or a Council Tax rebate would offer the best help to householders because without a range of financial incentives most householders will be reluctant to incur the costs and hassle of upgrading their homes.”
Berry concluded:
“There is also a need to improve the quality of information about the energy efficiency ratings of homes so that people can make informed choices when buying a property. Making the existing Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) easier to understand would help as would ensuring they are available at the time of sale.”
