Politics: Amber Rudd

31 to 60 of 167

- CommentAuthorCWatters
- CommentTimeMay 12th 2015 edited
Posted By: bella If I buy insulation it is 20%. If a VAT Registered builder buys insulation and installs in existing house it is 5% for both including on the things like skirting boards and decoration for IWI and crumbling pebble dash off, render, insulation layer, render or rain screen. New and listed building are zero VAT anyway. IS THIS CORRECT?

Yes.

https://www.gov.uk/tax-on-shopping/energy-saving-products

You pay a reduced rate of VAT (5%) when certain energy-saving products are installed in your home.

Your supplier will charge you the reduced rate on the installation and any extra work thatâ€™s part of it.

You pay the reduced rate of 5% for:
controls for central heating and hot water systems
draught insulation, eg around windows and doors
insulation on walls, floors, ceilings, lofts, etc
solar panels
wind turbines
water turbines
ground-source heat pumps
air-source heat pumps
micro combined heat and power units
wood-fuelled boilers

Not sure about the listed building bit.
- CommentAuthormw116
- CommentTimeMay 13th 2015
"Conservatory Tax"

I was meaning bring back the proposal that said you had to improve the whole house to current regs for insulation when you add an extension to an existing property (including conservatories) - that way people have to improve insulation if they want to add, say, a conservatory...

You could institute a seller side stamp-duty - when you sell a property you pay x% of stamp duty where x is the number on the EPC (encourages people to insulate before selling, makes money, GO is happier ;) )
- CommentAuthormw116
- CommentTimeMay 13th 2015
"Â£600 each for kitchen and dining room floor? Certainly makes a mockery of Energy Saving Trust estimates for floor insulation costs (which are nonsense)! How did you do it?"

It was #600 for both - and they are big rooms. The kitchen floor was a concrete slab, it had cracked into 5 pieces and you got seasick walking over it. Kitchen floor was dugout, then hardcore, blinding, 80mm EPS, 60mm PIR, UFH pipes and about 65mm screed with honed slate to finish. Dining room floor had the old boards removed, 60mm EPS under the joists, 60mm PIR between, UFH on top, and a 25mm biscuit mix to finish, with new reclaimed oak boards to top. She said she wanted slate in the kitchen, and bare boards in the dining room - I said no, unless I can insulate and install UFH. She took all of 3 seconds to start looking for a breaker to hire...
- CommentAuthorGarethC
- CommentTimeMay 13th 2015
She took all of 3 seconds to start looking for a breaker to hire...
- CommentAuthorfostertom
- CommentTimeMay 13th 2015 edited
Posted By: bellaIn 5 years build 500,000 modest dwellings (1-3 bedrooms) that do not require heating, have PV on S facing roofs and can be built bought for less that Â£100,000 or part owned or rented. Probably small blocks of flats with EWI and shared gardens in currently run down brownfield sites or suburbs would be most suitable.
Apart from the 500,000 that describes Exeter City Council to a T - full embrace of PassivHouse @ Â£1400/m2 and falling. Remarkable.
- CommentAuthorSteamyTea
- CommentTimeMay 13th 2015
How large are they Tom, it is easier to build a large place than a small place down to a price.
I also think that 1 bed places should be outlawed. They encourage overcrowding.
- CommentAuthorfostertom
- CommentTimeMay 13th 2015 edited
Small - 1,2,3 bed
http://www.exeter.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=12368
Gale & Snowden are architects for most if not all of the programme.
- CommentAuthorrenewablejohn
- CommentTimeMay 13th 2015
Wheres all these tax breaks for a listed building that I am missing out. All I see is extra expense using more expensive material like lime mortar.
- CommentAuthorbella
- CommentTimeMay 13th 2015
Posted By: SteamyTeaI also think that 1 bed places should be outlawed. They encourage overcrowding

I can assure you there is an urban army of single person households out there who would be delighted to buy or rent a single bedroom flat - if the price/standard/overall volume was right. There is also an army of people living in very over-crowded squalor.
- CommentAuthorbella
- CommentTimeMay 13th 2015
Posted By: fostertomGale & Snowden are architects for most if not all of the programme.

Perhaps they and the builders could be referenced in the letter to the minister

Sounds to me as if housing of the right kind might be number 1 on the list.

Another thought crosses my mind, maybe daft. Wind turbines. There is one big one a commercial site I pass often on the M4. It is never still. Wind turbines along motor ways where bordered by business parks?
- CommentAuthorGarethC
- CommentTimeMay 13th 2015 edited
Just a lot more housing. Somehow, anyhow.

The quickest way for quality to suffer is if builders are -guaranteed- to be able to sell, regardless of quality, due to an extreme shortage of 'product'. Why bother going the extra mile (and incurring the extra cost) of improving the quality if you will sell anyway?

That's the situation we have now in the housing (and rental) market. We've had it for years, and there's no sign of it being fixed.
- CommentAuthorSteamyTea
- CommentTimeMay 13th 2015
Posted By: bella
Posted By: SteamyTeaI also think that 1 bed places should be outlawed. They encourage overcrowding

I can assure you there is an urban army of single person households out there who would be delighted to buy or rent a single bedroom flat - if the price/standard/overall volume was right. There is also an army of people living in very over-crowded squalor.

Posted By: GarethCThe quickest way for quality to suffer is if builders are -guaranteed- to be able to sell, regardless of quality, due to an extreme shortage of 'product'. Why bother going the extra mile (and incurring the extra cost) of improving the quality if you will sell anyway?

Yes, only offer one thing and make people feel grateful for it. Saves using imagination.

Posted By: bellaAnother thought crosses my mind, maybe daft. Wind turbines. There is one big one a commercial site I pass often on the M4. It is never still. Wind turbines along motor ways where bordered by business parks?
When I worked for a service station company I suggested they put some in. I just got laughed at. The most constructive criticism I got was that it would cause accidents. "Traffic lights cause accidents too" was my reply
- CommentAuthordjh
- CommentTimeMay 14th 2015
Carbon taxes don't work if they make money for the chancellor. They're an instant vote loser, and they make British industry uncompetitive unless the rest of the world does it too. So introduce a carbon tax but guarantee that all the proceeds are given back to the people (like a reverse poll tax).
- CommentAuthorowlman
- CommentTimeMay 14th 2015
I don't think chancellors usually like ring fencing tax revenues Dave. It kinda cramps their style.
- CommentAuthorSteamyTea
- CommentTimeMay 14th 2015 edited
I am not sure they (carbon taxes) need make industry uncompetitive. If set at the right level they can reduce wastage.
People and industry like to think that they waste nothing, the truth is far from this.
- CommentAuthorgravelld
- CommentTimeMay 14th 2015
I'm currently in Munich for a conference. I walked from the U-bahn to my hotel via a residential development. From this admittedly small sample the Germans seem perfectly happy with apartment-living for families in low rise (5-6 storey) blocks.

What caught my eye was that these blocks, which were by no means new, were all triple glazed, alu clad joinery (not sure what is under the aluminium).

They do things properly here!
- CommentAuthordjh
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2015
Posted By: gravelldI'm currently in Munich for a conference. ... They do things properly here!

It's spelled Siemens, not Munich. Though admittedly there are one or two other companies in the area.

Plus it has a few related centres of knowledge:

Technische UniversitÃ¤t MÃ¼nchen, Institute of Building Physics

University of Applied Science Munich, Institute for Building Physics

Fraunhofer is Europeâ€™s largest application-oriented research organization.
Headquarters of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft:

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur FÃ¶rderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
Postfach 20 07 33
80007 Munich, Germany
- CommentAuthorCWatters
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2015 edited
Posted By: renewablejohnWheres all these tax breaks for a listed building that I am missing out. All I see is extra expense using more expensive material like lime mortar.

The Government removed the zero-rating of alterations to listed buildings in October 2012. This was in the March 2012 " Budget.
- CommentAuthorrenewablejohn
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2015
Posted By: CWatters
Posted By: renewablejohnWheres all these tax breaks for a listed building that I am missing out. All I see is extra expense using more expensive material like lime mortar.

The Government removed the zero-rating of alterations to listed buildings in October 2012. This was in the March 2012 " Budget.

If the council had not taken 4 years to give Listed Building consent I could have taken advantage of that.

The only benefit I can see with a Listed Building is not having to have an EPC when you come to sell it.
- CommentAuthorfostertom
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2015
But think of all the prestige!
- CommentAuthorrenewablejohn
- CommentTimeMay 16th 2015
Posted By: fostertomBut think of all the prestige!

Unfortunately prestige does not pay the bills. Really only a caretaker ensuring the fabric is good for another 100 years.
- CommentAuthorfostertom
- CommentTimeMay 16th 2015
Not bad, in a world of real values (if only!)
- CommentAuthorEd Davies
- CommentTimeMay 17th 2015
Quite a bit less-depressing-than-it-could-be view of greenness of the new government:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/11609157/David-Camerons-green-crap-is-back-on-the-agenda.html?utm_content=buffer65d6f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
- CommentAuthorborpin
- CommentTimeMay 17th 2015 edited
Posted By: bella1. In 5 years build 500,000 modest dwellings (1-3 bedrooms) that do not require heating, have PV on S facing roofs and can be built bought for less that Â£100,000 or part owned or rented. Probably small blocks of flats with EWI and shared gardens in currently run down brownfield sites or suburbs would be most suitable.
Personally I think this is key to lots of areas of the economy. I'd build them in small collectives so that the PV is equally distributed so not all roofs have to be S facing. Actually I would build them as blocks of maisonettes with flat roofs, that could be easily converted to varying sizes of houses. Saw a programme where a homeless couple were moved into a 3 bed flat - crazy! Initially all for social / council rental but with an element of ownership built in (makes folks more likely to look after them if they own a part of it). Scrap HS2 and borrow the money (at historically low rates) to build them.

How does it benefit;
1. Houses mean less on housing benefit - win.
2. Houses mean an address; and address = bank = increase likelihood of job - win
3. Apprentices - but build them using modern methods (NOT brick and block with a tiled roof) - TF with EWI on all 6 sides. - win
4. Rebalances a distorted Private rental market where the taxes we pay are lining private landlords pockets - win
5. generates GDP - economic activity - win
(Edit) 6. Rebalance the big builders as they have no incentive to build more houses as that would depress the price - win

so a win, win, win, win, win, win situation (sure I have forgotten a win)
- CommentAuthorborpin
- CommentTimeMay 17th 2015
Make energy more expensive the more you use. Currently tariffs are skewed against low use because of the standing charge. Make the first x kWh 0% VAT, next x kWh 5% VAT and above y 20% VAT with no standing charge. Vulnerable folk can be given a special 'Energy Code' that affects the bands - as simple as the PAYE system!
- CommentAuthorborpin
- CommentTimeMay 17th 2015
I'm sure I read somewhere that she was very much a round peg in a round hole. Let's hope so.
- CommentAuthordjh
- CommentTimeMay 18th 2015
Posted By: borpinMake energy more expensive the more you use.

Sorry, off-topic, but now the mansion tax is off the menu I saw a suggestion that a new council tax band would be introduced at the top end instead. It strikes me there's no need for either. Just change the basis of council tax so that as well as the fixed tax per band, there's also a percentage of rated value. You don't pay both, just whichever is greater. So normal people in normal houses are unaffected, but anybody with a very expensive house gets to pay more. And yes, I know I should be agonising about how rated values are calculated but ...
- CommentAuthorbella
- CommentTimeMay 19th 2015
Posted By: borpin
Seems to me from this, and the collection of comments above, that housing development is an over-riding issue. A "must do" whatever the politics. So maybe concentrate on this? Just imagine how many dwellings with PV on the roof could have gone up in the fields along the M4 now covered with PV. Apart from anything else what is the plan for weed control? I have a horrible feeling I know the answer.

I don't know enough about wind turbines to suggest that these might have been a better use of the land but at least then the sheep could have harvested the grass and the small mammals and insects could have thrived. Does anyone have any further thoughts on wind turbines? Or perhaps how development and manufacture of cars that don't produce particulates of any kind could be encouraged? We seem to have a thriving car industry.

So, any objections if I draft you a letter to the minister, based on your responses so far?
Dwellings that a) do not need heating b) generate energy. Any thoughts on a better heading?
- CommentAuthorSteamyTea
- CommentTimeMay 19th 2015
I think we could work out how many houses could be built on a solar farm. Can't do it right now but will think about it while i am at work.
It is an interesting idea, along with the cars, which are probably the quickest way we can reduce energy usage, CO2 and pollutants.
Windturbines next to motorways are a very sensible idea. I had to work on a motorway once, it was as windy as hell, and it was August. Several years later I worked for a motorway service area company, it was still windy.
- CommentAuthorfostertom
- CommentTimeMay 19th 2015
bella, your last post above needs format repair? Not clear who's saying/offering what.

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Politics: Amber Rudd