22.10.09

B&Q TO PAY THE VAT ON GREEN GOODS TO HELP CUSTOMERS ENERGY SAVE THIS WINTER

B&Q, the UK’s largest home improvement and garden centre retailer, announces an unprecedented move to help customers save money on energy saving products and their energy bills by launching a four day event to pay the VAT on a range of best selling energy products.

B&Q will pay the VAT on green goods from Friday 23 October to Monday 26 October 2009, meaning customers will be able to benefit from an extra 15 per cent off products that include:

Other products include:
- Draught excluders
- Pipe wrap
- Energy Saving Light Bulbs
- Thermostatic Radiator Valves
- Central Heating Controls
- Electrical Timer Switches
- Energy Saving Recessed Lights

This is on top of existing discounts in store so customers who have taken advantage of B&Q’s Autumn Privilege card will also get an additional 10 per cent off.

B&Q believes energy saving should be affordable for all and when surveyed, 95 per cent of its customers agreed that reducing VAT would encourage them to buy energy efficient products.

Matt Sexton, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility says;” At B&Q we are committed to help our customers green up their homes and we believe the Government and the European Commission must do more to help us make energy saving products affordable to all by cutting the VAT to 5 per cent. That’s why for four days during Energy Savings Week we’re paying the VAT on green goods for our customers to help them energy save this winter.”

Week commencing 19 October is National Energy Savings Week, driven by the Energy Savings Trust.

B&Q and its parent company, Kingfisher plc have been lobbying the Government and the European Commission for over five years to reduce the VAT on green goods. Earlier this year, the BRC wrote to Alistair Darling calling on the Chancellor to revisit Gordon Brown’s high profile proposals for a cut in VAT on green goods, which were set out in 2007 and have not yet been acted upon by the Government. The letter called for incentives to include zero VAT ratings for the most energy-efficient products.

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