Two-thirds (65%) of UK homeowners plan to make green home improvements within the next decade, according to new research from NatWest’s Greener Homes Attitude Tracker.
The most popular planned features cited by respondents include EV chargers (34%), solar panels (34%), triple glazing (33%) and heat pumps, with more than a quarter (26%) expecting to install a heat pump within 10 years.
Insulation tops buyer priorities, with one-third (33%) calling double glazing “essential” and 36% saying it is “very important.”
A property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating remains very important to 42% of buyers, though it now marginally ranks below local green space (43%) and access to public transport (43%), in a change from the findings of the second report of 2024.
GREEN UPGRADES
The latest survey of 9,000 UK adults shows a significant rebound in plans for green upgrades in the first half of 2025 compared to late 2024, despite ongoing financial pressures.
The rise comes amid increased housing supply and renewed government focus on building more homes and raising energy standards, with proposals under consideration for Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards in social housing.
Approximately 25% of homeowners surveyed between April to June 2025 indicated plans to make green improvements within the next 12 months, a record high. Immediate plans include composting bins (10%), smart energy meters (9%) and rainwater harvesting systems (9%).
LIFESTYLE CHANGES
Beyond home upgrades, wider lifestyle changes are on the rise, with 72% of adults surveyed reducing food waste, 62% minimising home energy use, and the use of electric or hybrid vehicle rising to 11%, up from 9% a year earlier.
The research also reveals a clear income divide. Among households earning under £23,000 a year, just 53% have a ten-year green upgrade plan, compared to 78% of those earning over £57,750. Higher earners are around twice as likely to have short-term improvement plans.
COST STILL A BARRIER
Cost, however, remains the overall main hurdle, cited by nearly three-quarters (74%) of homeowners without upgrade plans.
A reluctance to take on debt (38%) is a major barrier, as are the disruption from the work (32%) and limited financing options (27%). For almost one in five (18%), the type of property they live in prevents them from making green changes.
Lloyd Cochrane, Head of Mortgages at NatWest Group, says: “It’s promising to see that two-thirds of UK homeowners now have long-term plans to improve the environmental sustainability of their homes, but the research clearly shows that cost remains a significant barrier.
“Our challenge is to ensure these improvements are as accessible and affordable as possible.”
