50 building firms beg Cameron not to roll back green levy

The leaders of more than 50 top UK building companies wrote to the Prime Minister this week asking him to leave the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) alone. David Cameron has […]

The leaders of more than 50 top UK building companies wrote to the Prime Minister this week asking him to leave the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) alone.

David Cameron has launched a review into “green levies” raising the prospect some could be chopped in the Government’s Autumn Statement in December.

The letter from the UK Green Building Council is signed by Carillion’s Chief Operating Officer Nigel Taylor, Willmott Dixon’s Chief Executive Rick Willmott and Paul Joyner, Group Director of Sustainability for Travis Perkins.

They write: “If ECO was in any way rolled back it would have the perverse effect of increasing energy bills for these consumers, with severe consequences for jobs in what should be a growth sector of the economy.”

They argue improving the efficiency of the UK’s housing stock is the “only sure way to protect households against rising bills in the long term”.

Paul King, Chief Executive of the UK Green Building Council said: “Business leaders are sending a powerful message to David Cameron – do not scrap the Energy Company Obligation. Cutting back schemes designed to boost energy efficiency is an incredibly short-sighted view”.

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