LibDems to adopt far-reaching energy policies

In particular, the party is proposing plans to bolster significantly the Green Deal, and support green growth, should they form part of any 2015 government.

 The plans form part of a policy paper called Zero Carbon Britain. It includes commitments to introduce new incentives for people and businesses to take-up the Green Deal, by bringing in variable rates of stamp duty and council tax, based upon the energy efficiency of a property.

 The policy paper also proposes that the party should back the introduction of ”consequential improvements”, which would require householders to upgrade the performance of their homes when building extensions. This had been Government policy until a mischievous campaign by the Daily Mail dubbed it a “conservatory tax”, which led to a complete U-turn and opposition from Communities Secretary Eric Pickles (see EiBi Dec 2012).

 A new start for the Green Deal is promised “transforming” it into a “comprehensive one-off programme to bring all homes up to the EnerPhit standard by 2050. The EnerPhit standard is a reduced version of the Passivhaus standard that recognises the challenges of upgrading older properties but uses Passivhaus components to provide quality assurance and verify energy performance.”

In 2018 no F or G rated properties  will be allowed to be rented out. The policy paper also advocates outlawing the letting of buildings with an energy efficiency rating of E or D over the next decade, to encourage further improvements in the performance of rented properties.

While inclusion within the 2015 manifesto of all these ideas is not guaranteed, the likelihood of them doing so may well depend on how overwhelming the vote in favour is at the annual conference.