Eight in 10 Britons have no idea how energy efficient their homes are

EIGHT in 10 people in Britain admit they have “no idea” how green their home is, according to a study.

Another 44 per cent don’t know what an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating is, despite the efficiency grade being commonplace for 13 years.

It also emerged 49% of adults aren’t worried about the impact of their personal carbon footprint.

Most haven’t yet made significant purchases to change their lifestyle, with 98% of drivers not currently driving electric cars.

And fewer than one in 10 (7%) have installed solar panels on their home in an attempt to go greener.

The study was commissioned by Nationwide, which has pledged to make £1 billion available in new mortgages, offering preferential rates for EPC A-rated homes.

Joe Garner, the building society’s chief executive, said: “Our social purpose is to help people into a place fit to call home, but it’s equally important that we also look at how homes contribute towards emissions as part of the bigger picture.

“By growing our understanding of our individual impact, we can start to make a positive difference.”

The research of 2,198 British adults also found more than half aren’t planning to make any green improvements to their homes in the 12 months.

But, 47% would be more likely to do so if they were offered incentives by the Government.

Nationwide is also calling for an adaptation and extension to the outgoing Help To Buy scheme, so that it encourages developers to build more sustainable homes with higher EPC ratings.

The building society is pushing for a new Help To Green scheme to replace Help To Buy from 2023 because it believes this would encourage developers to build more energyefficient homes due to demand from buyers receiving additional support.

Mr Garner added: “As our research shows, real change will only be achieved if there are incentives.

“This is why, on behalf of our members, we are calling for government, housebuilders and lenders to work together to make a significant contribution towards achieving a net-zero carbon footprint.

“Our suggested reforms are about creating meaningful incentives for people to green their homes and that starts with an understanding of their EPC rating.”

The news came as figures compiled in a report show the Highlands has some of the least energy efficient homes in Scotland.

Homes are rated for efficiency on a variety of criteria, such as insulation and CO2 emissions, from the best – grade A – down to the worst – grade G.

Figures compiled by the BBC Shared Data Unit show that out of 35,322 Highland properties that hold an Energy Performance Certificate 70% were rated

D to G.

D to G ratings across Scotland as a whole stand at 59%.

John Finnie, Scottish Green Party MSP for the Highlands and Islands, agreed improvements need to be made.