We are desperately short of housing in our nation and we are even shorter of environmental housing. Punitive instructions and regulation concerning energy conservation and chatter about eco design has led to a few houses being built and cavities filled at the cost of our energy bills.
As climate changes and energy shadow ministers I am not technically concerned with increasing home building but it would be short-sighted and irresponsible of me to ignore the real need for more homes and more energy efficient homes.
So I would remove all regulation concerning energy efficiency from home builders and councils and abolish council tax on houses under the average house value (this would alter as house values changed). I would replace it on a tax for the energy consumption and ratting of any house; the worse the energy efficiency the higher the tax.
There would be means tested state loans to pay for people to insulated and improve the energy efficiency of their house and of course people could build energy production unit and sell power to the grid (without the need for planning permission). People would pay less tax the more energy efficient their homes where and of course property developers could charge more for more energy efficient homes.
The actual level of tax would be for councils to decided as they would be accountable to the government for meting there areas energy efficiency level. Councils could offset inefficient council house stock with green power production or visa versa
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