Product category:
Roofing
News Release from: National Federation of Roofing Contractors | Subject: Bring down VAT
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 20 July 2007
Bring down VAT to encourage
microgeneration
The Government should reduce VAT on energy efficient and microgeneration products in housing designed for low income families.
Two All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG), for Roofing and Intelligent Energy, met on 11th July to discuss the obstacles to microgeneration, practical solutions and how these two areas of the industry could collaborate to bring about real culture change
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 17 Apr 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Following the Planning White Paper and Gordon Brown's announcement that morning to build three million new homes, Stephen O'Brien MP and David Chaytor MP, Chairman of the APPG for Roofing and Secretary of Intelligent Energy respectively, held a joint meeting that saw some lively scrutiny of developments in microgeneration.
The meeting included three speakers: David Sowden, Chief Executive of the Micropower Council, Kevin Taylor, Technical and Training Officer for the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, and Dusty Gedge green roofing specialist, and founder of livingroofs.org.
The discussion explored how these different interest groups need to work together in new partnerships to make microgeneration work for Britain.
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According to a recent IPCC poll in May 2007, 81% of UK citizens are concerned about climate change, and 79% believe it is the responsibility of the Government to lead this change in the UK by providing the correct incentives.
The view supported by both these groups is that the grants-based Low Carbon Buildings Programme should be replaced with the more effective way of encouraging the use of sustainable systems in buildings.
One suggestion was for the Government to reduce VAT on energy efficient and microgeneration products in housing designed for low income families.
The Micropower Council has already achieved significant progress with Government and Chief Executive David Sowden concluded that 'the corner had been turned' in terms of 'going green'.
He highlighted potential obstacles such as planning regulations, lack of investment to bring prices down and increase efficiency and lack of trained and competent installers but indicated that the future looked bright in terms of the market's development.
In contrast the National Federation of Roofing Contractors is just starting out on its project to provide competent installers to work in partnership with electricians and plumbers.
Stephen O'Brien MP, Chairman of the APPG for Roofing, summed the meeting up as "an extremely promising meeting that could lead to a realistic way of putting more sustainable systems on roofs to bring about a change in housing and construction in Britain".
The two groups will be collaborating to bring about this change through practical solutions that would help to stimulate demand, boost microgeneration and help combat climate change.
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