Britons would pay more for a green home

THE SOLAR PANEL IS THE NEW DESIGNER KITCHEN: BRITONS WOULD PAY MORE FOR A GREEN HOME

A third of people would pay more for a home that had been fitted with a renewable energy source

Half of Britons want to know if their home is suitable for renewable energy

Changes in the environment and changes to their income are changing the priorities and attitudes of householders across the country.

Research released today (Tuesday 1 September) by the Energy Saving Trust reveals that a third of Britons are happy to speculate to accumulate when it comes to housebuying decisions.

Of those polled, a third (35%) said they would be willing to pay more for a home where some of their energy supply came from renewable resources such as wind, solar or hydropower.

And it seems that Britons are more interested than ever about installing a renewable energy source to their property. Almost half of those surveyed (49%) said they would like to know if their home is suitable for renewable energy.

The Energy Saving Trust's website: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/renewableselector/start, allows people to find the answers to questions like this, and any other energy related queries.

Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said: "It seems Britons are willing to pay more for a home with a renewable energy source so investing in a solar panel or a wind turbine could add to the resale value of a property and could be as attractive to househunters as a new kitchen or solid wood floors."

Mr Sellwood added: "Forty-four per cent of carbon emissions are from the home, and with depleting fossil fuels, government are looking at ways to incentivise householders to install domestic renewable energy. Next year will see the introduction of feed in tariffs - where householders will receive a set payment for the electricity generated and exported."

The research also reveals that more half (53%) of Britons said that the price of renewable energy is putting them off investing in them but there are solutions to help lower the initial cost.

However there are grants available to help with the cost of some installations. Householders can call the Energy Saving Trust and find out what grants they are eligible for towards the cost of purchase and installation of renewable technology. They can help advise and sign post them to the right support.

John Rithings, a Green Ambassador for the Energy Saving Trust, from Bidefode, recently invested and installed a solar hot water system in his home with the help of a grant from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme to to to install twin PV arrays - 65 panels in all - which now provide about half of his annual power consumption. Installation was "fairly painless" and half of the total cost of L33,000 was met by the grant. John estimates that he will probably make a small return on his investment over 25 years.

Shortly before retiring, John and his wife sat down and budgeted for their long-term energy consumption. "We knew that energy was going to be a major cost over the next 25 years," he says. "We had work to do on the house anyway, so it seemed sensible to invest in energy-saving technologies where possible."

There are two ways to capture solar energy for use in the home: by installing a solar water heating system or a solar electricity system. Solar panels collect free energy from the sun converting this in to heat or electricity for the home.

Solar water heating systems cost between £3,000 and £5,000 and typically save around ££50 a year when replacing gas. Typical solar electricity systems cost (around 2kW) between £8,000 and £14,000 and can save around £200 a year. Investing in both together can save a household around £250 a year off bills. And if using the solar electricity system, any excess electricity produced can be sold back to the national grid for cash.

For more information on using renewable energy in the home or community contact your local Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512012 or visit the website at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors:

About the research

The research was undertaken by ICM Research on behalf of the Energy Saving Trust. A survey of 2670 adults across the UK was conducted between March 20 and March 22 and 2696 people between March 27 and March 29.

About the Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Managed by the Energy Saving Trust, the low carbon buildings programme awards grants of up to £2,500 for solar electricity systems and up to £400 for solar hot water installations. Scottish householders can apply for up to £4,000 towards solar technologies under the Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme. For the latest information on grants and subsidies visit energysavingtrust.org.uk or call 0800 512012

About Green Ambassadors

Green Ambassadors are ordinary people, leading ordinary lives in ordinary houses.

The only thing extraordinary about them is their passion for saving energy, they help create awareness by being a case studies across the Energy Saving Trust key areas of business.

About solar energy

Solar Electricity (photovoltaics)

• A typical-sized system can provide the same amount of electricity in a year as a home uses in five months
• You can get paid for electricity you generate, even if you use it rather than export it.
• You don't need planning permission for a panel to go on your roof.
• You don't need to have a sloping roof to have solar panels - you can lay them out on a flat roof on a frame.

Solar Hot Water

• A typical solar water heating system can meet around a third of your annual hot water needs.
• They can be fitted with new high efficiency boilers.
• You don't need planning permission for a panel to go on your roof.
• You don't need to have a sloping roof to have solar panels ¿ you can lay them out on a flat roof on a frame.

About The Energy Saving Trust

The Energy Saving Trust is the UK's leading organisation set up to address the damaging effects of climate change by helping everybody to cut carbon dioxide emissions - the main greenhouse gas causing climate change - from their homes. We promote the efficient use of energy and a more low carbon lifestyle.

The Energy Saving Trust, through its network of "one-stop-shop" advice centres, provides free and impartial advice to consumers on saving energy, domestic renewables and greener transport, and is beginning to include water saving and waste reduction advice in its remit.

The Energy Saving Trust provides the housing industry with technical guidance to enable them to achieve higher levels of energy efficiency in both new and existing homes. The Energy Saving Trust also works with retailers and manufacturers to make sure that energy efficient products are available for people to choose as well as advising government on policies that are needed to cut greenhouse gases.

MEDIA INFORMATION

Contact:

· Paula McNulty 07770 886 924 / pmcnulty@webershandwick.com

· Jonathan Rennie 07770 886932 / jrennie@webershandwick.com

· David Sawyer 07770 886923 / dsawyer@webershandwick.com

Or call the Energy Saving Trust media hotline on 0207 227 0398.

Available:

· Case studies of Green Ambassadors using solar panels

· Images of solar panels