Homeowners confused on going green

OVER 60 per cent of Britons believe that they should pay less for their mortgages if they carry out green home improvements, according to research from power groupvattenfall.

It added that 61 per cent of people think that they should pay lower interest if their mortgages are for homes that emit fewer emissions.

A third of the individuals surveyed said that it should be more difficult to get a mortgage if the home you are buying is more polluting.

Vattenfall also found that 62 per cent would prefer to live in a home that does not produce carbon emissions. However, Vattenfall Heat UK managing director Mike Reynolds said that while people want to live in low-carbon homes, most do not know what they need to do to convert their properties or how to pay for it.

As an example, he said that less than a quarter of them are confident that they would be able to cover the cost of installing a new low-carbon heating system in their homes.

Less than one in four said they knew what kind of low-carbon heating system they would need if they want to replace gas boilers.

“The huge cost of removing emissions from heating means we can’t expect bill payers to stump up money for everything,” Reynolds said. “We need a plan setting out what upgrades need to happen and new ideas – such as incentives for commercial property owners to go green.”

According to the Department for Business, as much as 37 per cent of UK carbon emissions come from heating. Around 24 million homes and businesses use fossil fuels to keep warm.