Incentivising landlords to spend money on insulation using income tax breaks isn’t the answer, according to the Claire Coutinho, the Conservative Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
She reasoned that too many landlords are pensioners for this to be a successful policy.
In parliament she was quizzed by Labour MP Wera Hobhouse, who asked: “Will the Secretary of State consider allowing landlords to offset spending on insulation against their income tax bills? That would benefit tenants by enabling them to live in warm and comfortable homes.”
Coutinho responded: “I suggest that is not necessarily the best response, because a lot of landlords are pensioners and will not necessarily pay income tax. However, we will continue to look at everything we can do to ensure that insulation is properly delivered.”
