In its response to the Government's Heat and Energy Strategy consultation, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has called for architects to play a greater role in the major retrofitting programme of all homes.
The Institute has made the following comments:
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The Government's strategy to deliver programme of energy upgrades to existing buildings is welcomed, which will lead to a major reduction in UK greenhouse gas emissions. However, the timescale must be more ambitious, with other nations in Europe and beyond already tackling the issue of renovating existing housing stock to significantly shorter timescales.
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The Institute proposes that Government funding be conditional on proper attention to design. A significant proportion of the work is likely to be carried out through DIY or by small-scale builders and contractors. However architects and other design professionals are best placed to develop integrated solutions that can then be rolled out to the wider market
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The projected multi billion pound programme cannot be paid for solely by Government. Instead, a virtuous cycle needs to be triggered where the energy saving linked to rising fuel prices would help fund the upgrade whilst building a culture of collective responsibility for tackling climate change- but importantly, any loans to upgrade energy efficiency must be tied to the property, rather than the individual.
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If the Government is serious about tackling emissions from our existing homes, it must reduce VAT on repairs and refurbishment to 5% as soon as possible – immediately reducing the costs to householder of making their home more efficient and sustainable
Ewan Willars, Head of Policy at the RIBA said:
"The integration of the energy efficiency measures, mechanical engineering solutions and possible contributions of renewables is a design challenge. Refurbishing homes to become more energy efficient has significant architectural implications on the interior and in many cases on the exterior of houses, which is why architects have an important part to play in retro-fitting – and why we believe that Government funding has to take good design into account. And if the Government is serious about tackling emissions from our existing homes, it must reduce VAT on repairs and refurbishment to 5% as soon as possible."