New research has revealed that 30% homeowners are confident they knew what to do to make their home net zero ready by 2035, with 27% agreeing they wouldn’t be able to identify the improvements their home needed to be greener.
The research was published by Lloyds Banking Group during Energy Saving Week, which takes place between 17 and 23 January.
A statement said that a key barrier preventing homeowners from taking action is that they don’t believe they have the skills or knowledge to make energy efficiency improvements to their homes, despite half of people agreeing it is important homes are net zero ready by 2035.
The research suggested that energy bills and usage are a key concern for homeowners. However, 33% of homeowners have taken action to improve their property’s energy efficiency in the last five years.
Among people who have undertaken these improvements, 96% said they were pleased with the results. Over 8 in 10 said they would recommend this type of work to a friend, family member or work colleague. A further 64% said the running costs of their home are lower after making the changes.
However, when asked what support might have been useful before starting their retrofit journey, 21% said they’d have welcomed advice and support on how to go about the process.
Alongside greater support and guidance on energy efficiency measures, access to skills is also a key factor for Brits, with 24% stating that they would expect direction towards skilled tradespeople to help them bring their property towards net zero.
With a documented green-skills shortage across the UK, including a shortfall of 200,000 installation workers and 100,000 heat-pump installers, the lack of a well-trained labour force may soon have a detrimental impact on the journey to Net Zero homes, it was forecasted by the group.
Lloyds Banking Group stated that it has partnered with Regeneration Brainery, a not-for-profit academy for young people, to help address this need and ensure a well-trained and diverse labour force across the property sector.
Andrew Asaam, homes director at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “If UK homeowners are to get retro-fit in 2024, we must see more collective action from industry, government and financial institutions to support them in this vital transition.
“That’s why we launched our Making Homes Greener initiative, a journey that will see us trial new tools and collaborations, such as our work with Regeneration Brainery, to improve the energy efficiency of Britain’s homes.”