The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has responded to the Government’s £300m additional energy efficiency funding for green home upgrades and axe of Green Homes Grant scheme – see here.
RIBA President, Alan Jones, said:
“I’m disappointed to see the Government scrap the Green Homes Grants scheme without committing to long-term energy efficiency investment. While the scheme was clearly mismanaged, we must bring an end to this stop-start cycle of second-rate retrofitting policy. We need a comprehensive National Retrofit Strategy with adequate funding and clear roadmap for action. I hope that there will be lessons learned from this debacle.
The additional funding pledged today and the focus on low-income homes must be welcomed, but I’m concerned the Government fails to grasp the scale of the problem – at least 19 million UK homes requiring retrofitting.
But we’re not only calling for more money; policymakers must also provide incentives for those ‘able to pay’ to update their own homes. By reforming property taxes such as stamp duty and council tax, the Government can help accelerate this urgent programme.”
The RIBA’s ‘Greener Homes’ campaign urges the Government to make homes more energy efficient by bringing forward a National Retrofit Strategy and introduce a sliding scale of stamp duty, capped at £25,000, with the most energy efficient homes accruing significantly less tax than the least energy efficient.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Press contact: Abigail.Chiswell-White@riba.org.
- The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment. Follow @RIBA on Twitter for regular updates.
