Energy efficiency top priority for homeowners

August 9, 2023

With many homeowners already looking towards and planning for the winter, new research from Accoya has revealed that an astonishing 51% of homeowners are planning to make energy-efficient improvements to their dwellings.

According to the research, when it comes to higher income households, two thirds (66%) of homeowners say that they are planning on improving the energy efficiency of their properties, and over 50% of house owners said that they have already made such improvements.

Nevertheless, it is not just energy efficient changes that are increasing in popularity. Homeowners are also looking for more sustainable products as part of an effort to reduce their property’s carbon footprint. In fact, over a third (36%) of homeowners say they would invest more in sustainable home improvements.

Gillian Edwards, Head of Communications, commented, “With so many people having to rethink their spending habits to meet rising costs, it’s promising to see that homeowners are thinking ahead and investing in improving their property’s energy efficiency.

“More often than not, people think that increasing insulation and installing a new boiler is enough to make a home energy efficient. However, according to energy.gov, heat gain and heat loss through windows is responsible for 25-30% of residential heating and cooling energy use, making energy efficient windows an important consideration for both homebuyers and homeowners.”

When thinking about their lifelong home, homeowners say that energy efficiency is one of the top three features. In fact, more than a quarter (29%) of respondents cite it is in the top three most important features when purchasing a forever home.

Over a third (37%) say a newly fitted kitchen is the most important (37%) feature for a forever home and more than a quarter (29%) say their dream home would have lots of windows for natural light.

Ten most important features when choosing a forever home: