Brits will only make homes greener when energy bills rise by £56 a month

energy bills
(Image credit: Getty)

New research from Nationwide Building Society has shown that the average British household will only consider making their home greener if their energy bills rise by £56 a month.

Although the government is currently pushing for households to make changes to their homes in order to make them more energy efficient, this new research shows that almost half of households (46%) are concerned about the costs associated with going green, while 30% of people are concerned that because they find green improvements so confusing, they will be overcharged.

Survey shows confusion and scepticism

The survey of more than 2,000 adults has shown that people are confused about the benefits of going green. It has also shown that they’re wary and sceptical of making any changes to their home.

The survey found that people are six times more likely to know that ‘lol’ stands for laugh out loud than know that ‘EPC’ stands for energy performance certificate. In addition, 53% of those surveyed do not know what CO2 is and 75% are unaware of what net-zero means.

As a result, it’s clear that much more work needs to be done to ensure that people understand the importance of going green. This is particularly the case because households account for 15% of all the UK’s emissions.

However, the good news is that 50% of those surveyed do consider themselves ‘environmentally-friendly consumers’. Plus, with energy bills set to rise in the coming months and the price cap expected to surge, many households are likely to start showing an interest in green initiatives because it’s likely that energy bills will skyrocket.

Start going green today

The good news is that if you’re looking to save money on your energy bills and go green in the process, there are a number of ways you can start making positive changes today.

Taking some simple and straightforward steps will help you reduce the amount you spend on your energy each day, and simply turning off some devices while they’re not in use will save you up to £75 a year on your bills.

Plus, if you’re looking to go green, then one great way of becoming environmentally friendly is to switch to a green energy supplier. By running an online energy comparison, you’ll be shown an extensive list of green energy suppliers who offer tariffs in your area. Once you’ve added a few basic details about your home and your energy use, you’ll be shown all the best energy deals in your area from these suppliers and the amount you can save by switching to them. In some instances, you may be able to save £200 by making the switch.

As an added bonus, many of these green suppliers like Bulb and Octopus are among the best energy suppliers in the UK, too. This means you can help the planet, upgrade your service and save money all at the same time.

Find the best energy deal for your homeSave money now

Find the best energy deal for your home
TechRadar has partnered with MoneySupermarket to help you find the best energy deals in your area. Our energy comparison tool takes less than five minutes to use, and could save you hundreds on your energy bills. Save money now

Tom Brook

Tom is a freelance copywriter and content marketer with over a decade of experience. Originally from an agency background, he is proud to have worked on campaigns for a number of energy providers, comparison sites and consumer brands.