Tories call for rebates for green homeowners
A Conservative party policy group has called for stamp duty rebates to be offered to homeowners who improve the energy efficiency of their property.
Environmental activist Zac Goldsmith, who is part of the Quality of Life group which prepared the report, said massive reductions to energy consumption could be made with very little investment.
Speaking on BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show, he said: “To upgrade your home is always going to be a disruptive process so the best time to do this is where it changes ownership, buy or sell a home, that’s when you’re going to be removing your furniture.
“At that point it makes sense to make these various changes so we’re saying we should offer very generous stamp duty reductions, rebate, if your home is passed on in the best possible condition.”
Mr Goldsmith said offering stamp duty rebates would help make the purchase of energy efficient equipment more of an investment decision rather than just an ethical decision.
“It has to be a no-brainer for ordinary people,” he added.
The report calls for limits to be set on the energy use of domestic appliances with information about goods using excessive energy being displayed on products. It also calls for bans on goods which go on standby as well as goods which use excessive energy.
Environmental group Friends of the Earth welcomed the proposals adding that it was in favour of moves that made it cheaper and easier for people to take green initiatives.
Conservative party leader David Cameron is not bound to accept the proposals made which is the latest in a series of reports designed to tweak the party’s agenda.
Previous reports have called for increased deregulation, cuts in corporation taxes and the abolition of inheritance tax.
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