A solar tax hike is the worst way to respond to the climate emergency
Consumers are facing an increase from 5% to 20% VAT on the cost of installing their own low-carbon energy and storage such as solar panels. Increasing costs for the solutions to climate change we can use today. Meanwhile, domestic coal, the highly carbon intensive fuel the UK is committed to eradicating from our energy system, will continue to enjoy the lower 5% rate.
Could there be a more contradictory step from a government which has declared a climate emergency?
It stacks up with similar moves to undermine solar and other small scale renewable generation: closing the Feed-in Tariff, complicating network charging rates, and making clean power pay a climate change tax.
We need intelligent, big picture thinking if the UK is to achieve net-zero carbon emissions within the next 30 years. The VAT hike damages these chances and exposes the wider policy gap on this crucial issue. The time for incoherence and indecision on energy policy has to come to an end.
If you agree, add your name to the petition we have started, addressed to Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, asking him to halt this proposal as soon as possible and respond to the #ClimateEmergency.
