British people racing ahead to install their homes with greener upgrades

A new survey by an electric vehicle (EV) charging company found that British people increasingly want to install technology such as solar panels and EV charge points into their houses to make them more sustainable.

2023 has arguably been the worst year for homeowners with the cost of inflation impacting mortgage repayments and fuel bills. However, whilst individuals battle with the cost-of-living, new research has uncovered that more individuals in England are looking to sustainably upgrade their properties, which not only help keep household bills down in the long run, but they also combat the current climate crisis and reach the government’s plan of becoming net-zero by 2030.

A new survey, conducted by Hive, an EV charging company, discovered that 39% of participants claim they would like to install a home EV charger, although only 4.5% of people in the UK own an electric car.

The research, which was published last week, also discovered that top selling points for homes in the UK were related to clean tech and decarbonisation, with 68% of people saying they wanted a house with solar panels and 67% saying they wanted one with good roof insulation.

These were considered important by more people than those who wanted natural lighting (53%), wooden flooring (22%) and reclaimed woodwork (21%).

In addition to considering the interior of a home, this news has come as more housing development companies have pledged to begin using more sustainable materials when building a new house. This is due to the Grenfell Tower incident and to help the environment as buildings are currently responsible for 39% of global energy related carbon emissions.

Smart home technology such as a smart heating system (62%) and a smart energy meter (48%) were also important considerations for respondents. 55% of respondents agreed that we should make homes more sustainable, while 47% have already made changes to their current home to make it greener. 

Of those who had made changes, 37% said they had installed a smart meter, 34% had installed energy efficient lighting, and 33% had upgraded their roof insulation. However, according to the National Audit Office, 57% of households now have a smart metre, and the government is falling behind on its planned rollout of the devices. 

Almost a third of respondents (32%) said they would be willing to pay an extra £11,730 for a home that was eco-friendly, while over two thirds (69%) would be willing to invest in their current home to make it more sustainable. 

Gavin Murray, Hive and EV director at British Gas, who commissioned the study to promote the launch of their new EV charger, said: ‘It’s clear that Brits are increasingly prioritising energy efficiency in their home over aesthetic changes so that they have greater control over their emissions.

‘And there is true value in making these changes – as net zero technology from solar panels to smart thermostats and EV chargers, is helping customers to better track their energy usage, set schedules and keep costs down. As electric cars increase in popularity, at home chargers, like our new EV charger, will likely become the norm and worth investing in now.’

Despite the desire to improve home sustainability, leading energy company, British Gas, said: ‘common perceptions are putting people off from making the switch. Concerns that EVs aren’t able to cover enough miles without recharging (27%), that it takes too long to charge (25%) and that the price of electricity will soon overtake the price of petrol (21%) were all reasons cited.’

Image: CHUTTERSNAP