Reducing the VAT on home improvements would encourage more people to make their homes more energy efficient, according to the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC).

The Federation of Master Builders recently put out a call to the government to reduce the number of rogue traders who take cash in hand payments and often provide a sub-standard job.

Director of external affairs Brian Berry said a reduction in VAT to five per cent for maintenance and improvement work would push more people toward genuine tradesmen.

This call has now been echoed by Andrew Leech, director of the NHIC, who said the current cost of carrying out energy-efficient improvements is putting people off, despite the cost savings they will see once they are completed.

“It will also reflect on the fact that they will go for cheaper solutions to the problem of providing efficient improvements, which might not last as long as more expensive alternatives.

“If you pay more for a job, then you get a better job done and it lasts longer – it will maybe last for the lifetime of a house,” he concluded.

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