Jade Lewis, Chief Executive at Sustainable Energy Association said:

“The Sustainable Energy Association has consistently called for the introduction of financial incentives to help overcome the cost barrier for home improvements.’

Our ‘Addressing the able to pay sector’ report, first published in 2018, provides an insight into how such mechanisms have already been introduced with great success in other countries including France and Germany. We welcome the ‘VAT relief for energy saving materials’, and we are particularly pleased to see the cut on both low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures to enable a whole-house approach to be taken. However, reducing VAT simply removes a barrier and further incentives will be required to stimulate the able to pay to act.”