Brits are making the power move

• Over half (55%) willing to invest £250+ for a more energy-efficient property
• 1 in 5 consider smart meters ‘essential’ when looking to move home
• Nine in 10 (88%) of us would change routines if it helped the country use less fossil fuels

With the price of homes falling around the country, money-conscious households are looking for more energy-efficient technology, such as smart meters, when considering a new place to live.

New data released today reveals having a smart meter installed is an important consideration for many people when choosing a new home, with 53% saying it was either absolutely essential (22%) or very important (31%).

The technology, which is available at no extra cost from energy suppliers, was also a bigger draw in a prospective new home than many others. Less than half (48%) of Brits said solar panels were essential or very important, with even lower figures for local access to sources of renewable energy (42%), a heat pump (33%), or even an electric vehicle charger (30%).

But the financial benefit wasn’t the only motivator with 9 in 10 (88%) saying they would change their daily routines if it helped the country use less fossil fuels. Only 12% said they would be unlikely to change their habits.

Savvy households are also thinking long-term, with 55% of Brits willing to invest at least £250 upfront to make their home more energy-efficient in the future, and over 7 in 10 (72%) willing to make some investment.

As the cold weather sets in and bills continue to rise, attitudes are changing across Britain with 88% of people more conscious about their energy usage and efficiency now than they were 10 years ago – 67% citing the cost as the reason.

Those aged 55 and over are most acutely aware of how much energy use at home can cost (81%).

Nearly half of British householders without a smart meter (44%) claim being able to see how much power they are using in near real-time could help them become more energy efficient, with a further 56% adding that knowing when energy is cheapest could help them manage their usage more efficiently.

As the country upgrades its energy system to allow more renewable power to reach homes, half of those surveyed predict that wind and solar (52%) will be responsible for producing most of our energy in 20 years’ time.

Just 6% of us think coal will play a part in the energy mix in 20 years’ time – with 83% of Brits saying they are enthusiastic about using energy that doesn’t produce greenhouse gases. However, data from National Grid shows that power provided from coal was only responsible for only 1.5% of electricity generation, compared to 2012 when coal represented 43% of electricity produced.

Accompanying this data is a new video showcasing the story of our energy system, from the earliest days of networked power, looking ahead to a cleaner energy future.

Victoria Bacon, Director at Smart Energy GB, said: “The tools to help households better manage their energy use are clearly becoming increasingly important to people when looking to move. Smart meters are available at no extra cost from energy suppliers, but many people are willing to go the extra mile and invest in making their homes more energy efficient.

“As well as having a positive impact on how we use energy today, making these changes will help improve and upgrade Britain’s energy system, which has evolved a huge amount over the years – smart meters can help us take the next step in that evolution.”

The survey comes after a panel of experts teamed up to predict how future innovations in our energy system could help bring exciting tech and cost-saving efficiencies to British homes. Insight from the panel, which included former Tomorrow’s World presenter Maggie Philbin, University of Oxford researcher Dr Tina Fawcett, futurist Tom Cheesewright, Smart Energy GB’s Victoria Bacon, and energy analyst, Kate Mulvaney was used to create an interactive 3D model of what the houses of 2035 and 2070 may look like.

You can see the smart home of the future by going to futurehouse.smartenergygb.org