17 March 2016 | Marino Donati BIFM chief executive James Sutton has suggested that Chancellor George Osborne’s latest budget, delivered yesterday, was “somewhat limited” as regards the drive for greater productivity. Commenting on the Budget, Sutton said: “The Chancellor set the scene with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)’s revised growth forecast for the UK economy until 2020, with an expectation of slower growth than previously anticipated and further uncertainty for the global economy. “Although he stated that his measures would help create an enterprise culture, we felt that the announcements were somewhat limited. These appeared to focus on financial controls and taxation breaks for business as a way of increasing income, rather than focusing on the full range of productivity drivers.” Sutton cited the FM sector’s major contribution to the UK economy, accounting for around 7 per cent of overall GDP, roughly 10 per cent of the UK working population and up to £111 billion a year to the UK economy. “With this in mind we would have welcomed further stimulants to upskill existing workers,” said Sutton.  “The emphasis on educational improvements was focused on future generations, an important area, but there was little on developing our current workforce and those immediately entering work. It is these people who are able to impact productivity and growth with immediate effect. “FM professionals have a significant role to play in enabling productivity in the workplace. We would have liked to have seen a stronger focus on in-work development programmes and schemes. For example, the opportunity to progress and develop skills means employees are often better engaged and more productive. Therefore, we were surprised to have not seen the chancellor build on the foundations of the apprenticeship levy announced in the Autumn Statement.” The Chancellor also used the budget to announce the abolishment of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) energy-efficiency scheme. It will be phased out at the end of the 2018-19 compliance year, with government working with the devolved end on closure details for the reporting element of the scheme.   The CRC, a mandatory reporting and pricing scheme designed to incentivise energy efficiency and cut emissions in large energy users in the public and private sectors across the UK, was introduced in 2007. The decision to scrap it follows a consultation on simplification of the business energy tax landscape launched last September.   The cost of abolishing the CRC scheme will be met by an increase in the main rates of the Climate Change Levy from April 1, 2019, according to the Budget statement. There will be an equivalent increase the CCL discount for sectors with Climate Change Agreements to compensate for the increase in CCL main rates. The CCL discount for electricity will increase from 90 per cent to 93 per cent, and the discount for gas will increase from 65 per cent to 78 per cent from 1 April 2019.   The Budget statement also said the government would allocate at least £50 million for innovation in energy storage, demand-side response and other smart technologies over the next five years to help new technologies and business models access the market. Source link

Flow Energy has launched its Flow Eco RF boiler which could reduce gas bills by up to 15 per cent and carbon emissions by 20 per cent. The independent supplier is expanding its heat product range in a bid to offer consumers more choice and the chance to save money. Consumers will be able to control the internet-connected boiler through an app on their smartphone. The boiler also has remote diagnostics allowing for issues to be fixed directly from installers offices and reducing the need for call-outs. The boiler will be manufactured by Intergas and will be sold by Flow’s Brand Ambassador installers across the UK. This model removes wholesalers from the supply chain to give installers an increased margin and end customer’s better value. Flow group chief executive Tony Stiff said: “The energy supply division of our business has grown phenomenally in the past year, and we’re keen to replicate this growth in our products division. “We’re doing this by partnering with the likes of Intergas to deliver exciting and innovative heating products, such as the Flow Eco RF boiler, and by leveraging our strong existing Brand Ambassador network we’re taking a completely new approach to the heating market.” Flow is offering the boiler as part of a 10-year home energy bundle which includes the boiler, installation, 10 year warranty and the intouch system.  In 2015 Flow group created an innovative micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) boiler designed to convert heat from combustion into electricity. By generating power at the point-of-use while using the heat, the Flow boiler significantly reduces the carbon intensity of that power. Source link

The UK government is seeking views on regulations surrounding its flagship Starter Home programme in England and has issued a consultation document. Under the regulations, which will form part of the Housing and Planning Bill, the government plans to allow build to rent developers to build Starter Homes off-site. ‘We propose that private rented sector developments could contribute to starter home provision and the requirement should be met through an offsite contribution for delivery of starter homes,’ the consultation document says. Overall it proposes a new statutory framework for Starter Homes that will include a general duty on local planning authorities to promote the supply of Starter Homes when carrying out their planning functions. The Bill would include a clause that sets a Starter Home requirement which means that local planning authorities may only grant planning permission for residential developments if the Starter Homes requirement is met. There would be reporting arrangements to ensure local communities, and especially first time buyers, are aware of what action local planning authorities are taking to support the delivery of starter home; and powers for the Secretary of State to intervene if local planning authorities fail to carry out their functions related to Starter Homes. ‘We are taking forward ambitious measures to increase the supply of housing and improve prospects of home ownership for many. We aim to deliver one million new homes to boost housing supply significantly. We want to ensure young people are not denied that which their parents took for granted, the opportunity to buy their own home, settle down and enjoy the security that home ownership brings,’ said Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis. ‘That is why we have committed to building 200,000 high quality Starter Homes exclusively for young first time buyers under 40, to be sold at a minimum of 20% below the open market value. We want to see Starter Homes built on housing sites across the country,’ he explained. ‘The Housing and Planning Bill sets out the statutory framework for the delivery of Starter Homes, and will be supported by changes to national planning policy,’ he pointed out. The Government has already announced a £2.3 billion funding package to support the delivery of up to 60,000 Starter Homes. Of this funding £1.2 billion will, in the first instance, be made available to remediate or assemble brownfield land to deliver at least 30,000 Starter Homes through the Starter Homes Land Fund. The technical consultation document seeks views on the details for the regulations to be made under powers contained in the Housing and Planning Bill, including options for the Starter Homes requirement on reasonably sized sites. ‘We want to hear views so the resulting regulations are feasible, proportionate and effective. I am confident that these reforms will help a generation of young people into home ownership,’ Lewis added. The British Property Federation has been calling for build to rent developments to be exempt from providing an on-site Starter Home provision throughout the Housing and Planning Bill process, as it believes that an unbroken block is more appealing to investors. ‘We are pleased to see that our calls for build to rent to be treated differently have been recognised. An unbroken block where all the units are for rent is much easier to manage and much more attractive to investors, which is why a mix of private and discounted market rent system works well,’ said Ian Fletcher, director of policy (real estate), at the BPF. ‘The build to rent sector has the potential to deliver a significant number of new homes and drive up standards in the private rented sector, so it is good to see that Starter Homes will not be an obstacle to development,’ he added.   BOOKMARK THIS PAGE (What is this?)      Source link