As the UK government looks to transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a number of green deadlines are approaching. Recent research from Checkatrade has shown that awareness of these upcoming changes amongst homeowners is low, with 54 per cent of respondents admitting they find the concept of ‘greener’ homes confusing and believe there needs to be more clarity around what this means.
With a plan already in motion to ban the sale of gas boilers in UK homes by 2025, currently only one in four Brits (24 per cent) know exactly what the proposed boiler ban means and how it will affect them, showing a lack of awareness around the upcoming deadline.
Additionally, by 2035 all social housing should be achieving between A-C rated Energy Performance Certificates, indicating high energy efficiency and lower running costs of heating, lighting and hot water. According to the Checkatrade study, only 22 per cent of respondents stated that they understand what this deadline means and how it will affect them.
However, despite this confusion, over half of respondents (55 per cent) stated they were interested in undertaking sustainable improvements on their homes, and 56 per cent would be interested in hearing about what changes they can make to their homes now to make them more sustainable.
The findings also revealed that there are more benefits to making sustainable changes to the home aside from increasing energy efficiency and saving money, as 40 per cent say they would be happy to pay more to buy a home that is ‘greener’.
The top ‘green home’ features that Brits would consider installing include:
- Solar Panels – 55 per cent
- Smart Thermostat – 52 per cent
- Heat Pumps – 49 per cent
- Electric Vehicle Charging Points – 47 per cent
- Electric Boilers – 46 per cent
- Biomass Boilers – 44 per cent
- Ceiling Insulation – 43 per cent
- Wall Insulation – 34 per cent
- Double or Triple Glazing – 30 per cent
Meanwhile, 63 per cent of respondents also agreed that they would need an expert tradesperson that is well-versed in sustainable home upgrades to carry out these improvements.
Mike Fairman, CEO of Checkatrade, said: “Demand for energy efficiency-related projects has risen greatly in recent years – at Checkatrade we’re seeing a huge uptick in searches for sustainable home improvements, including a 28 per cent increase this most recent quarter. It’s likely that consumer interest in sustainable homes will continue to increase, as protecting the environment becomes a larger focus for the public. However, there is a clear need for education amongst consumers on the concept of greener homes– this is where skilled tradespeople can play a key role to help raise awareness.”
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