In evidence given to the Communities and Local Government Committee on existing housing and climate change, members of the CIH said an MOT would force people to understand the levels of emissions coming from their homes. It suggested while there should be an onus on people to improve their energy efficiency, there should also be incentives to help people to pass the MOT.
The CIH said more debate was needed over how often an MOT would be required or whether it would be specifically targeted at energy efficiency, sustainability or environmental impact.
Sarah Webb, chief executive designate of the CIH, said that one approach would be to have the MOT at point of sale, but added: “We have to recognise that if you only do it at the point of sale it will take us a long time to reduce the carbon emissions of our existing housing stock. It is a trade-off between the practicality of doing it and the cost to individual owners versus the overall impact on climate change.”
However, Alan Lakey, partner at Highclere Financial Services, said: “People buying and selling houses don’t need more aggravation. A lot of things sound reasonable on paper, but when you think about the cost and apathy out there, are people really going to go for it?”
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