Survey Reveals Homeowners Looking to Make Properties More Energy Efficient

A new survey has revealed that homeowners are interested in making their homes more energy efficient.

The survey was conducted by the housing charity Shelter alongside the Royal Institute of British Architects. It has shown that 12 percent of homeowners looking to improve their houses are thinking about the environment.

The research was carried out as a part of the Architect in the House scheme, which is designed to provide free consultations with an architect, helping people to understand the ways in which their home can be improved.

In return for getting the consultation session, the homeowners are then invited to make a donation worth £40 that will go towards helping badly housed families and the homeless.

Out of all the reasons given for improving their property, it was found that homeowners were more concerned about energy efficiency than they were about increasing the value of their home. Only eight percent wanted to raise the property in value. However, the good news is that installing energy efficient technology generally does increase the sale price.

A number of measures are recommended for homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their property, such as installing double glazing in windows and doors, or adding insulation to lofts and cavity walls.

However, the survey also revealed that the majority of homeowners are still not interested in saving energy, as almost three quarters (74%) claimed that they simply wanted to improve the way their home looks.