Homeowners should be offered a stamp duty rebate if they carry out energy efficiency improvements to their homes, according to a new 10-point retrofit action plan for London.
Launched on 20 October by the umbrella body BusinessLDN, the plan is designed to meet London mayor Sadiq Khan’s target for all of the capital’s homes to meet an energy performance certificate (EPC) B rating by 2030. It includes backing for a Stamp Duty rebate, which would be triggered by energy efficiency upgrades – carried out within two years of a home purchase – that improve the property’s EPC rating.
The plan also includes a proposal for ’building passports’ for homes, setting out information on their building performance. This data could then be collated in a pan-London green housing registry. In addition, it recommends making it easier for homeowners to navigate the grant process by streamlining programmes and bringing together existing pots, so that the level of available funding is determined by the home’s actual energy usage.
Other recommendations include the establishment of accredited retrofit ‘one-stop shops’, to make it easier for homeowners to seek expert guidance during the retrofitting process.
