Go Green at Home

Over half of Brits (61%) are put off green home improvements because of expense, as government announces new green grant.

The government has announced a £2 million fund to help homes go green as the country looks to rebuild against recession after a near-two-decade set-back in economic growth.

Rishi Sunak announced a green-based recovery programme, as national trades platform Rated People, reports a rise in popularity for green home improvements. 29% of tradespeople have already seen an increase in the number of eco-friendly jobs they’re being asked to quote for this year.  Recent research by the company showed that 61% of Brits are put off by the perceived cost of going green, despite the £300 a year savings they can potentially make on their bills.

Rated People have released the top green improvement trends being planned  by homeowners this year, with smart lighting to reduce energy use top of the list with 31%.

Top 10 Eco Home Improvements

1. Install smart lighting to reduce electricity use
2. Upgrade to eco-friendly appliances
3. Install double-glazing
4. Introduce cavity wall insulation
5. Install solar panels
6. Start a compost heap
7. Install solar water heating
8. Set-up an electric car port
9. Install a biomass boiler
10. Install a heat pump

Adrienne Minster, CEO of Rated People, commented on the government announcement.

“It’s fantastic to hear that eco improvements will become more accessible thanks to the government’s new Green Homes Grant scheme. We recently surveyed homeowners on how they felt about making eco-friendly home improvements and the results revealed that whilst twice as many UK homeowners are planning to make green improvements this year compared to 2019, many have been put off by the cost. This grant will be the solution for many.”

Nationally, construction accounts for 8% of employment and 9% of the UK’s GDP each year.

“The UK trade industry is hugely important to drive the economy and this new scheme does that in a responsible way by prioritising green work. The jobs this will create, along with the focus on creating more apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities, will give the sector a long-lasting leg-up. The new scheme looks set to benefit homeowners, the economy and the environment, which will be a great help to the home services sector.”Rated People sees over 1 million people post their home improvement jobs each year and represents 50,000 tradespeople working in the UK, accounting for 5% of the British market for home services. For the full report, visit https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/the-rated-people-home-improvement-trends-report-2020.