The UKGBC has called for the next UK government to upgrade Britain’s homes, offices, and public spaces through a £64bn programme of national government investment
This investment in home insulation would save £60bn in grid upgrade costs over 10 years, as well as saving £22bn for the NHS over the same period.
A further £9bn will be cut from household energy bills saving the average household £300 per year.
The manifesto calls for an Energy Saving Stamp Duty
As part of a national retrofit programme, the manifesto also calls for the introduction of an Energy Saving Stamp Duty that incentivises homeowners to make sustainable upgrades to their homes, driving a long-term mass-scale sustainable market for measures such as insulation, heat pumps and solar panels.
These two flagship policies form part of a manifesto that provides the next government with a long-term plan for upgrading the UK’s built environment.
What key areas will the retrofit programme cover?
- Making sustainable home insulation upgrades easy, affordable and attractive
- Making new developments high-quality, well-connected and green
- Protecting communities from climate risks
- Renewing town centres.
The national home retrofit programme will help to reduce bills and make homes more healthy
Louise Hutchins, head of policy at the UK Green Building Council, said: “Reimagining and renewing the places we live, work and play is one of the best ways for an incoming government to tackle some of the country’s most palpable crises — from soaring energy, housing and health costs, to hollowed-out town centres, communities repeatedly hit by flooding and overheating, and the breakdown of our climate and nature.
“The built environment industry stands ready to help as an active partner, but any government wanting to show big tangible improvements will need to put their shoulder behind a much bolder approach than we’ve seen up to now. That means leadership from the top, comprehensive long-term strategies that communities and investors can get behind and a step-change in government investment surgically targeted where its most needed.
“This must include a new national plan for the UK’s cold and draughty homes, which waste expensive energy out of every uninsulated wall, roof and door. A national home retrofit programme is common sense, it ticks so many boxes: it will bring down bills, make homes more comfortable, healthy, and reduce the country’s carbon emissions, while generating skilled new jobs and saving billions for the NHS. Couple this with tree-lined streets to ease air pollution, overheating and flooding, greener new developments and upgrading our public and commercial buildings and you have a package that voters will really notice.”
