Beyond cost: Making energy efficiency measures accessible to low-income homeowners
Beyond cost: Making energy efficiency measures accessible to low-income homeowners 3.63 MB
Upgrading homes to make them more energy efficient can cut energy bills and make homes healthier and more comfortable to live in. But despite these benefits, homeowners on lower incomes are less interested in making energy efficiency upgrades to their homes than those who are more affluent.
New Citizens Advice research explores perceptions among low-income homeowners in England and Wales, and looks at the support people need to engage with retrofit.
The upfront cost of home upgrades remains a key barrier for homeowners with lower incomes, as well as a lack of awareness around the available financial support to address this. But low-income homeowners are also more likely to perceive the home upgrade process as risky than those on higher incomes, and this perceived risk can outweigh the potential benefits of improving energy efficiency. Where homeowners are coping with tight budgets and limited resources, it can feel too dangerous to disrupt the status quo and risk negative consequences if things go wrong.
As the Government launches its Warm Homes Plan and considers the design of future support schemes following on from ECO4, it must consider the key motivators for low-income homeowners. These include:
Funding for upgrades that is easy to understand and apply for.
Information about the benefits of energy efficiency and the support available, including myth-busting around Government energy efficiency schemes
Assurance that installations will be high quality and that there will be meaningful and accessible redress if things go wrong
Support and advice throughout the process