Don’t let the Green Zealots bring back the Window Tax!
The government is proposing that householders who want to build a conservatory, or replace a boiler or install new windows, are to be forced to spend hundreds of pounds in addition on loft insulation and other green measures, all in the name of saving the planet. The Daily Mail reports that “officials recognise this will cause inconvenience to householders”. They can say that again. It is of course also likely to do huge damage to the home improvement industry, as home-owners who have saved for a conservatory are disheartened by the new obligations, and decide to go on a cruise instead. Time to sell your shares in Everest?
But there’s more to it than that. This about a fundamental condition of a free society — property rights. The money in the householder’s bank account is his property. He’s earned it. The government has already taxed him on his income. It will tax him again, with VAT, when he spends it. But it is his to spend as he likes on any legal product, including conservatories, windows or a new boiler. Indeed all the green zealots at DECC should be cheering when a householder replaces an inefficient old boiler with a new recirculating model. That alone will reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
But no. They must hit him with a new and wholly unjust obligation. It must be the citizens’ choice to insulate or not. We must reluctantly allow the government to pester him and hector him on the issue, and perhaps to offer incentives. But not to create penalties and new obligations when a citizen spends his own money on products of his choice.
I am genuinely appalled that a Tory-led government can so totally disregard the issues of personal freedom, liberty and property rights, in pursuit of its modish obsessions. They seem unable to grasp the idea that there are some things that the government can and should do, starting with the Defence of the Realm (which they seem to have abandoned). And there are things that the government should not do, like interfering in the citizen’s home, and imposing arbitrary obligations on home improvements.
They seem indifferent to the fact that they are creating disincentives to the very improvements they are recommending — like efficient boilers, and double glazing. They are careless of the casual collateral damage that they are inflicting on the home improvement industry. And they are wholly indifferent to the fundamental rights of the British people to privacy in their homes, and to spend their own money without state interference.
This is Eco-fascism run mad. It’s preposterous, and it’s time to say NO.
Roger Helmer MEP 
We are currently undergoing some extensive renovation work to a bungalow which includes a large extension to the side and the whole of the extended roof space being turned into a bedroom.
Interestingly we have already experienced something very similar to what Roger had written. Having had our planning application approved it came as a bit of a shock when the local council (looking after building control) came back and said the new part of the building had “too much glass”, and that to comply with environmental regulations the options were to replace the boiler or replace all existing double glazing.
I had issues with this from several perspectives. Firstly, no one had visited the house so they had no idea how energy efficient the current boiler (not bad actually) or current double glazing (quite new) was. Secondly, most people could tick this box by putting lots of insulation in the loft – but we are having a whole new roof which and bedroom up there which will be far more insulated that it currently is, but that will not count towards their environmental calculation.
Thirdly, the whole of the new bit of the house when done will obviously be to a better energy efficient and environmental standard than the existing house built in the 1960s so its strange that by improving the overall environmental standing of the house you get penalised.
We were given an option by our architect to get something called a SAP test. It cost £150 and because we were installing 2 wood burners it ticked the box and we were not forced to replaced good windows and a working efficient boiler to tick a box.
SAP explained
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/emissions/sap/sap.aspx
Roger,
I spelled it out some posts ago; that some folks conspire to get rich, by force of law. The environmental movement is full of such people. It’s not that they don’t want consumers to renovate their homes; they just want control, setting the conditions and restrictions on the consumers so money goes into specific hands providing specific products or services.
Let’s roll through the steps to success in a crisis structure (i.e., “Save the Planet”) one more time;
1. Create the perception of crisis.
2. Proffer your own pre-determined, convenient solution.
3. Lobby your solution into law.
4. Profit by force at the expense of the masses.
5. Buy more power, and repeat.
Now do you believe there are people (like Albert Gore) conspiring to make rules, wealth and power by force of green laws? If you don’t believe me, ask the heads of efforts to bring electricity, water, modern convenience to far-flung towns in developing nations.
You don’t need to convince me, David. I’ve been arguing this case for years.
It beats me why anyone bothers applying for planning permission… Get on, build your extension without the interference of building inspectors and stupid “building control” regulations etc, then apply for consent retrospectively… I have never known a refusal….
Though we will have to see what the final proposals are, I too am sick of government even considering schemes to tell law abiding people how to spend their money and what to do. Government should confine itself to providing information which the recipient can freely ignore.
What if you want to construct a conservatory without heating (which is not unusual) – it will at least keep the wind off the adjoining part of the house – surely that in itself is a benefit.
And what if your house is well insulated already ? I can see plenty of scope for anomalies and unjustified requests by the town hall jobsworths.
This is nothing more than the “Green Tyranny” of Agenda 21. So it begins.
HOW DO WE STOP IT DONT CITYS HAVE RIGHT OF SELF GOVERMENT ?