22 August 2024

Homeowners are planning energy efficiency upgrades that for the most part will not have a significant impact on carbon emissions, according to a new report.  

A YouGov survey shows that more than two in five (43%) of homeowners plan to carry out energy efficiency measures on their home, with more than a third (36%) intending to do so in the next two years. The MCS Foundation, which commissioned the survey, said it sheds light on the scale and nature of the retrofit market in the UK, including the following findings:  

• 36% of homeowners plan energy efficiency improvements in the next two years.

• Over half intend to spend up to £5,000, and 10% plan to spend more than £10,000.  

• 16% plan to use secured or unsecured loans to fund energy efficiency work.

• 81% plan to use their own savings to carry out energy efficiency measures.

The MCS Foundation said that although homeowners’ interest in energy efficiency upgrades would seem to be a good sign for net zero, closer inspection reveals that most of the planned measures will not make a significant contribution to net zero.  

This is because the majority are planning comparatively small changes such as loft insulation or new radiators, rather than changing their heating system to low carbon options such as heat pumps. The vast majority of UK homes will need to replace gas boilers with heat pumps within the coming decades, but homeowners appear to be planning to spend savings on other home upgrades instead, the new report highlights.

The MCS Foundation’s report comes weeks after latest figures show that although more people than ever before are installing heat pumps in the UK, the country is still a long way off targets.

The charity is calling on the Government to introduce a national, public awareness-raising campaign on the benefits of the transition to low-carbon heating as well as energy efficiency measures. It is also calling for the introduction of innovative financing to help unlock mass-scale retrofit.

Alastair Mumford, Programme Director at The MCS Foundation, said, “The technology and solutions to make millions of homes comfortable, healthy and zero-carbon are available, but we need homeowners to be informed and supported in making the transition in the most effective way.

“The Government must launch a national public awareness campaign and ensure homeowners have access to advice on low-carbon heating and retrofitting if we are to make progress in transitioning to low carbon, future-proofed homes.”

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Notes to editors 

Read the report here: https://mcsfoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MCSF-Ramping-Up-Retrofit-Report-FINAL.pdf  

Among the report’s findings were the following: 

• 53% of homeowners who are planning to undertake measures are aiming to spend between £0-£5,000 and only 11% are planning to spend more than £10,001.  

• The most popular measures that households are planning to install are loft insulation (22%), new radiators (22%), new double-glazed windows (22%), followed closely by solar panels (20%) and draughtproofing windows and doors (19%). 

• 10% of respondents plan to install a heat pump, whilst 14% are planning to install a new oil or gas boiler. 

• The reason stated by most for carrying out these energy efficiency measures was to reduce energy bills (64%), but this was closely followed by respondents wanting to make the home more comfortable (60%). Environmental benefits were only listed as a motivation by 26% of those planning to undertake energy efficiency improvements. 

• Of the homeowners planning to undertake energy efficiency home improvements in the next two years, almost half were willing to pay for a retrofit assessment (46%). 36% were willing to pay for retrofit support services.