As a business owner you may already be aware that VAT has been reduced to 5 percent already in some fields of business in the UK. The Government, in fact, has been gradually reducing the rate from 1998 onwards until it reached 5 per cent for installation by professional installers of some energy-saving materials. Insulation installation also benefitted from this break. This VAT rate reduction reveals an appreciation of the incentivizing powers of this option. Homeowners, however, remain excluded from the benefits enjoyed by professional installers, should they opt to do the installation work on their own. The environmental benefits of the UK government reducing VAT on all insulation work to five percent would also benefit excluded classes, including homeowners.

In this era of rising bankruptcy and limited income, homeowners are more likely to opt for the do it yourself path. Homeowners would also benefit from tax breaks to support their investments in their housing. The Construction Products Association has understanding demonstrated its support for the extension of a lower VAT rate for such work

The thermal insulation market has already shown its responsiveness to favorable regulation and a rise in energy prices. By extrapolation, an extension of the 5 percent rate would lead to a further boom. In fact, a trial has already demonstrated the practical potential of this theory. The consequent loss in CO2 emissions would be environmentally beneficial.

The Construction Products Association has stated that many householders are capable of installing insulation themselves and yet they are paying the full rate of VAT on a product the Government must want to encourage them to buy. It is known that buildings are the largest single energy-using sector, accounting for 40 percent of energy consumption in Europe. Insulation is a highly cost-effective end-useful measure in reducing the emissions of green house gas emissions.

A study commissioned by EU has found that a reduced VAT rate on insulation products might not be passed through fully by installers to the consumers. Despite the rate cut for commercial installation, this is one reason it has been surmised why the uptake in the UK market has been low. This is because since the installer purchases the product on behalf of the residential customer, the reduced rate may not be clearly apparent to the end consumer. Of course, when the residential owner is the installer, this is not the case.

The experiment of the Isle of Man of a rate reduction, which led to increased revenue from taxation shows the economic gains that are a potential ignored by the UK government. The improvement in the stock of existing housing and a reduced push on development of green field location reveal the ancillary beneficial results. The UK government should learn from the example set by the Isle of Man Government. A change in current Government policy would demonstrate the Government would like consumers to participate in doing what they can to aid the environment. It can also point out the economic gains to be had by taking this path to prod them in this direction. Meanwhile, the Government should keep in mind the message of that report about peak oil and how this rate reduction would encourage people towards changing their consumption habits.

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