Rebates for Skylight Installations
Are There Any Tax Incentives or Rebates Available for Skylight Installation?
The skylight has been around for centuries. The ancient Romans were huge fans of skylights and used them in many of their public buildings including the Pantheon, which is still standing in central Rome after some 2,000 years. In recent times as builders, homeowners and businesses have searched for ways to reduce their energy dependency attention has turned back to the humble skylight with many now asking the question: Are there any tax incentives or rebates available for skylight installation? It’s a good question so read on for the answer.
The Benefits of Installing Skylights in Your Home or Business
Before we get into a discussion of tax incentives and the like let’s first look at some of the other benefits of installing skylights in your home, restaurant or other business.
They look amazing
Let’s face it, even if skylights did not produce any quantifiable financial benefits their aesthetic advantages would be worth the cost of installation. Skylights are one of the best methods ever devised for opening up a formerly dull and dingy space.
They bring light into the darkness all day long and they can make a cramped room seem positively spacious. On top of that they add a sense of elegance and sophistication to a space and your friends and neighbours will be green with envy when you unveil your new skylights.
They make your home more environmentally friendly
Many homes, even many modern homes, fall a bit short in the natural light department. We have become so dependent on electric lights that architects and developers tend to default to spaces that require them rather than looking for ways to optimise all the free light from the sun. The result is higher energy bills and a bloated carbon footprint.
One way to cut into your monthly energy bills is to install skylights in your home or business. All those spaces that previously depended on electric light during the day (particularly during the long, dark British winter) can now be illuminated naturally and your bank account can earn a break from sky-high energy bills.
They can increase your home’s market value
Real estate industry studies indicate that a more energy-efficient home is a more valuable home. In fact, the selling price of energy-efficient homes tends to be about 5% higher than the selling price of comparable homes that waste energy. By installing skylights you can reduce your lighting bill and reduce your air conditioning bill by improving ventilation throughout the house.
Moving to the outside of the house, kerb appeal can impact the value of a home by as much as 10%. Kerb appeal is how passersby perceive your home from the street. A home with skylights is more visually appealing than a home without because of the air of elegance and sophistication they provide. The bottom line is that skylights can bump up your home’s market value from both the inside and outside.
They’re good for mental and emotional health
Earlier we alluded to how interminably long and dark the British winter can be. The dark and dismal state of affairs has a very real negative effect on many people’s state of mind. This is not a marketing gimmick created by skylight installers. Rather, it is a very well-documented condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder that afflicts millions of people who live in the northern latitudes.
The most effective way to deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is to go where the sunshine is. But since not everyone is able to spend winters in Bali or Thailand or the Caribbean the next best way to get more light into your life is to install skylights. Even during the winter when the sun is low in the sky and that sky is often overcast, natural light will flood into your home all day long to brighten up the house and the moods of everyone inside.
Now, About Those Tax Incentives and Rebates
Individual manufacturers may offer rebates on particular skylight products but you will need to keep your eyes open and shop around. As for tax incentives… the government does not currently offer tax incentives specifically for the installation of skylights in a home or business. However, you may be able to increase the Energy Performance Rating of your home by installing skylights, you will likely reduce your monthly energy bills and your home may well get a bump in valuation. All told the potential financial benefits of installing skylights are significant, even without tax incentives.
To Enjoy the Benefits of Installing Skylights Contact RL&RL
Although the UK government does not currently offer tax incentives specifically for installing skylights, the financial benefits skylights provide can be potentially significant. To learn more or to discuss installing skylights in your home get in touch with the team at Rooflights & Roof Lanterns today by calling 020 8087 2004.
- Moshin
