Energy efficiency key for house hunters

Rising energy prices and the race to net zero are causing homebuyers to put more value on energy efficiency, a new survey¹ suggests.

Efficiency

Asked to pick essential features for their new home, more respondents opted for energy-saving attributes than a year earlier. As the cost-of-living rises, households with poor energy efficiency ratings are paying up to £246² more on their annual gas bills.

Savings

The combined financial and environmental appeal of cavity wall insulation helped it rise five places to 15th. The annual saving for better insulation is around £650 a year³ for a detached house – or 1,500kg of CO2.

A new boiler or central heating system was ranked ninth (up four places), with a good energy efficiency rating sixth (up three). Double glazing came in third, unchanged from 2021.

¹GoCompare Home Insurance

²Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit
³Energy Saving Trust