MPs call for stamp duty kick back for green homes

On the same day as the government has announced plans to enhance green home advisory services an influential committee of MPs has called on it to go much further in its attempts to curb emissions from the existing housing stock.

Launching the Communities and Local Government Select Committee's report on Existing Housing and Climate Change, Committee Chair Dr Phyllis Starkey said that the government's focus on improving the environmental standards of new houses, as evidenced through its target for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016, has meant it has given "insufficient priority" to cutting emissions from existing housing.

"It clearly needs to engage as fully with reducing carbon emissions from the 25 million homes we already have as it has with cutting those from new development," she warned.

The report comes on the same day as environment secretary Hilary Benn unveiled a range of measures designed to help individuals curb domestic carbon emissions, including plans for new environmental advisory centres across the country and the launch of a new advisory phone line.

But the committee has called on the government to be far more ambitious in its attempts to curb household energy use, calling for financial incentives in the form of stamp duty rebates for home owners who make environmental improvements to their homes within a year of moving in.

In addition, the report recommends an acceleration of plans for the deployment of smart meters and issuing of energy performance certificates for houses, as well as the introduction of minimum performance standards for existing homes.

It also claims that local authorities should be encouraged to offer large-scale, area-based programmes for basic home improvements, such as cavity wall or loft insulation.

Currently, the government is seeking to drive adoption of insulation through its Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), which was raised yesterday and requires energy firms to invest in enhancing their customers' energy efficiency. However, the Select Committee argues that by encouraging local authorities to undertake much of this work they will be able to exploit economies of scale by installing insulation one area at a time.

In related news, research from the National House Building Council (NHBC) published today claims that people are not yet ready for zero carbon homes and have limited interest in energy efficiency when purchasing a new home.

The survey of 500 homeowners revealed concerns that zero carbon homes will cost more and would require more maintenance. Speaking to BBC News, NHBC chief executive Imtiaz Farookhi said the government had failed to make the case for zero carbon homes to buyers.

"The debate about house building has largely been between government, regulators and the construction industry; in short, the supply side," he said. "The demand side – home-buyers and home-owners – actually have not been involved in this process. Unless people actually understand and engage in this, they are not going to be willing to buy these homes and change their lifestyles."