Tax proposals 'could have positive impact on environment'

New laws to tax poorly insulated homes could influence people to buy greener properties, an expert has noted.

Vernon Pethard, of newhomesforsale.co.uk, said that the proposed environmental legislation is likely to boost the number of people looking for more ecological and economical homes.

He said: "These measures may result in more people choosing new [homes] because in addition to being greener, new homes are more economical to own."

This comes after it was reported that the government may introduce a stamp duty tax for homes that are poorly insulated, in an attempt to help the UK lower its greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging people to adopt better insulation features in their properties.

Last month, the Green Investment Bank Commission advised the government to improve the energy efficiency of UK houses in order to meet its climate change obligations.

It also suggested that the government introduces incentive schemes to encourage people to use energy efficient measures, including offering low interest loans to fund insulation features and imposing a stamp duty tax on energy inefficient properties.

Posted by Claire Manning