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% 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%) 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% 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%) stated they were interested in undertaking sustainable improvements on their homes, and 56% 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% 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%
- Smart Thermostat – 52%
- Heat Pumps – 49%
- Electric Vehicle Charging Points – 47%
- Electric Boilers – 46%
- Biomass Boilers – 44%
- Ceiling Insulation – 43%
- Wall Insulation – 34%
- Double or Triple Glazing – 30%
Meanwhile, 63% of respondents also agreed that they would need an expert tradesperson that is well-versed in sustainable home upgrades to carry out these improvements.
CEO of Checkatrade, Mike Fairman, says: “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% 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.
With the UK’s upcoming green deadlines, it’s more important than ever for homeowners to have access to vetted professional to successfully implement these green changes – such as installing electric heat pump boilers – in their homes to comply with rules and regulations.’’
To help ease consumer confusion around green homes, Checkatrade has created a range of useful cost guides on everything from eco-friendly building materials to installing solar panels, giving Brits a helping hand on their journey to creating sustainable homes.
