A year-long inquiry by the government's competition watchdog into the housing industry has found that the drive for zero-carbon homes could affect competition in the industry. However, in a major victory for the sector, the study by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) found "little evidence" of anti-competitive practice by housebuilders and "no evidence" of monopolies, even on a local level. Also, as predicted by Building two weeks ago, the inquiry endorsed a proposed code of conduct to improve levels of customer satisfaction. But it said the government would step in if certain milestones were not met. The report, published yesterday, found the move to zero carbon may push up customer complaints and that small firms "may struggle, without assistance, to meet the requirements". It called on the government to provide help to small housebuilders.
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