UK households going green with home improvements

According to new research by AA Financial Services, UK homeowners are investing in green home improvements, with some 2.2M UK households are planning green improvements this Spring.

Green DIY and home improvements ranked higher than installing a new bathroom, adding an extension, or converting a loft/garage or room in the latest survey, meaning some £16Bn could be spent on green technology in the next few months.

At a time when public investment in home energy efficiency improvements has been cut 58% in England since 2012, the figures suggest that the green agenda is still important to people.

Over half (57%) of those looking to add green products, were installing double glazed windows, a third (34%) were adding or improving their insulation, while 13% were adding solar panels, and 7% were taking measures to become carbon neutral.

On average, homeowners are looking at investing £7,421 on their energy saving home improvements. While 45% were planning on spending up to £5,000, and some 22% were anticipating spending over £10,000, with 10% over £20,000.

The greenest UK region was the South West, where one in nine households are planning some kind of green home improvement. By contrast, just 7% of London households had green improvements planned.

David Searle, the AA’s director of financial services, commented: “Whilst many focus on house prices and whether people are moving, the trends for those improving their home are actually more interesting. For every person moving home there are four that are staying put and investing money into the property they have. Further, our data suggests the drivers behind people’s home improvement plans are about realising value over the long term. Making energy efficiency improvements future-proofs a home, cuts domestic bills and it implies that people are serious about taking control of their energy usage.

“Spring is absolutely the time to make these changes, and the fact so many people are planning all sorts of improvements is a great sign of economic confidence.”

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