Household Bills
Homeowners ‘go green’ to boost energy efficiency
With 97 per cent of UK homeowners concerned with energy efficiency, up to 50 per cent are prepared to ‘go green’ to save money and energy, according to M&S Bank research.
Of those who said they are concerned about the energy efficiency of their home, more than a quarter (28 per cent) are more concerned now than they were last year as it helps them to save money.
Less than one in 20 (4 per cent) said they were concerned for purely environmental reasons, down 9 per cent on last year.
Nearly all homeowners (99 per cent) said they regularly carry out at least one simple energy saving measure, and 85 per cent have made at least one green home improvement.
The table below illustrates the top energy efficiency measures already made by homeowners:
| Energy saving measures | Home improvements |
| 91% – Switching off lights when not in the room | 62% – Installed double glazing |
| 86% – Use energy efficient light bulbs | 62% – Installed loft insulation |
| 79% – Turn the heating off when they’re not in | 43% – Upgraded to energy efficient boiler |
| 68% – Switch off appliances rather than leaving them on standby | 9% – Installed solar panels |
The top home improvements homeowners would seriously consider making include installing solar panels or solar collectors (31 per cent), installing a more energy efficient boiler (28 per cent) and installing triple glazing (23 per cent).
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Major electrical appliances make up 20 per cent of the average energy bill, with this in mind, when replacing appliances nearly two in five homeowners will always buy a product with a rating of ‘A’ or above (37 per cent).
When thinking about the energy efficiency of existing household appliances they already own, 37 per cent have mostly high energy efficient household appliances, while 34 per cent said they had a mixture of higher and lower rated products. Just 14 per cent did not know the efficiency rating of their household appliances.
Paul Stokes, head of products at M&S Bank, said: “As well as helping the environment by going green, homeowners can also make substantial financial savings. That’s why it’s great to see so many people are recognising the benefits of making even just a few simple, everyday changes.”
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