Rising bills create more interest in energy efficiency

In the UK, 60 per cent of adults who own or rent property are more interested in energy efficiency than they had been previously due to recent rising bills. However, just 40 per cent know their home’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. Only 34 per cent plan to make energy efficiency improvements in the coming year, with the most popular measures being double or triple glazing and wall insulation. This is the result of a survey of 2 000 persons conducted by Kingfisher. The main reasons cited for not making improvements were not being able to afford the upfront costs (34 per cent), not knowing enough about what the options are (33 per cent), not being sure if it’s worth the investment (30 per cent) and seeing it as being too much hassle (27 per cent). Just 44 per cent had heard of some of the current government schemes to support energy efficiency while two thirds (66 per cent) believe the government should be doing more.