The Federation of Master Builders is calling on the government to extend refurbishment grants for an additional year.
The Federation of Master Builders is calling on the government to extend refurbishment grants for an additional year.
The trade body believes that chancellor Rishi Sunak, in his spending review on 25 November, should bring forward a £9.2bn manifesto pledge to make existing homes greener.
As a result of this, the trade body believe this would offer a clear pipeline of work.
Brian Berry, chief executive of The Federation of Master Builders, said: "SMEs in the construction sector stand ready to build back greener, but they will only be able to do so if they are supported to train and recruit highly skilled tradespeople."
"We should also be making the most of the current trend for homeowners to extend and convert their homes, by cutting VAT to 5% on home improvements so consumers have more money to invest in retrofit at the same time.”
Brokers Hank Zarihs Associates said that development and refurbishment finance lenders support an extension of the £3bn green retrofit scheme launched at the end of September.
An estimated £2bn is available to help private homeowners upgrade the energy performance of homes, using Trustmark-registered installers.
Business and energy secretary Alok Sharma, said: "Our plan to upgrade the nation's buildings and help build back better is good news for jobs, the environment and people's back pockets, as we reduce emissions and help cut energy bills.”
Furthermore, the government has said that it will fund two-thirds of the cost of energy efficiency work, up to £5,000.
However, only traders registered with Trustmark can complete the work, but few have signed up, which the Federation of Master Builders attributes to the scheme's short length.
