Miliband's latest misstep will pile unnecessary costs upon developers
Ed Miliband's attempt to lead this country was resoundingly rejected at the ballot box in 2015. Given his influence within the present Government, he may have had the last laugh.
The Energy Secretary appears to have emerged triumphant in a clash with embattled Chancellor Rachel Reeves, securing the future of a £13 billion funding allocation for insulating properties across Britain, and very possibly triggering further tax rises this autumn.
Having secured access to the fruits of your wallet, Mr Miliband has now turned his sights to redefining British architecture. Under plans revealed today, developers will be forced to install solar panels in the 'vast majority' of new houses, and gas boilers will effectively be banned in newbuilds in favour of heat pumps.
The Energy Secretary claims that the moves could save households £500 a year on their energy bills, but appears to have neglected to consider the likely effect on development costs. There are few objections to people choosing to install solar panels, or choosing to buy a house with a heat pump.
That builders confronted with market demand are not already supplying them suggests, however, that any premium people are willing to pay for these features will not cover the costs of installing them.
The last thing Britain's capacity constrained housing market needs is another effort to pile unnecessary costs upon developers. Measures to ease building are drastically needed. Regrettably, Mr Miliband seems to think otherwise.
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