黑洞社区

The government should reconsider reducing VAT on retrofit work and Stamp Duty on green homes in order to incentivise homeowners to install solid wall insulation, according to a report by chief construction adviser Peter Hansford which aims to kickstart the industry.

Hansford鈥檚 report 鈥� titled 鈥楽olid Wall Insulation 鈥� Unlocking Demand and Driving up Standards鈥� 鈥� makes ten recommendations to government to boost solid wall insulation (SWI) demand, improve its affordability and increase its attractiveness as a retrofit solution.

The government has a target to insulate one million homes by 2020, yet its latest energy company obligation (ECO) figures show since the scheme started in 2013, just 97,000 SWI installations have been made out of 1.5m retrofit measures installed.

In comparison, around 595,000 cavity wall installations have made under ECO in the same period.

Proposals in the report include reducing VAT and Stamp Duty to incentivise private homeowners to install SWI, as well as encouraging social landlords to get it installed by adjusting rent based on energy performance.

The report also recommends creating retrofit co-ordinators for all SWI projects, with 鈥渃learly defined responsibilities鈥�, as well as encouraging the industry to establish and run a 鈥淩etrofit Hub鈥� as a centre of excellence to help kickstart a national retrofit programme. A national programme of retrofitting properties was called for by 黑洞社区鈥檚 Agenda 15 campaign.

A leadership forum with industry and government members, which links to the Green Construction Board and/or the Construction Leadership Council, is also recommended in the report.

Hansford says in the report that he anticipates a government response to it 鈥渙ver the next few months鈥�.

Speaking in a Q&A at the report鈥檚 launch at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), Hansford said he expected this response to come from the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), but added: 鈥淚鈥檓 sure DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) and BIS will be involved as well.鈥�

Also speaking at the Q&A was Rob Lambe, managing director for Willmott Dixon Energy Services, who said: 鈥淭he most critical thing from the report is for industry to set up this leadership forum and develop a detailed and cohesive plan. We need a call from government to get industry to respond.鈥�

Peter Bonfield, who鈥檚 leading a review of the government鈥檚 energy efficiency policy, was also at the event and said Hansford鈥檚 report was a 鈥済ift for the work I鈥檓 doing鈥�.