Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has called on the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, to invest in property repair, maintenance and improvement to create purposeful jobs in every region and boost much-needed local growth across the country.
The government has previously announced increased spending on energy efficiency for homes, businesses, and public services – which amounted to £12.6bn. The BMF has said it has not seen this spending fully materialised.
BMF CEO, John Newcomb, said: “Writing to the Chancellor in advance of the Spring Budget we have urged the government to embark on a long-term programme to utilise this funding through a nationwide programme of retrofitting homes that will help cut household bills and reduce carbon emissions.
“To succeed, this must be underwritten by a proper implementation plan that lays out how local authorities and other delivery partners will complete the improvements that many homes urgently need.”
Decarbonising road transport
The BMF has also called for the tax treatment of low-carbon fuels to be incentivised, so they cost less than diesel. It said that its members who have switched to cleaner, green fuels incur a significant cost differential, typically about 60p per litre over standard diesel, which is a squeeze on margins.
John Newcomb said: “To ease pressure on members struggling to absorb rising costs, the BMF has asked for an HVO tax differential, around 60p per litre, for 12-18 months. This would not only demonstrate the government’s support for the decarbonisation of transport, but also help those companies who are feeling the pinch financially remain true to decarbonisation.”
