MOT-style check would force homeowners to make their homes eco-friendly

quot;-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">

UK homeowners have historically shown a lack of enthusiasm for making their home more environmentally friendly – a phenomenon that a recent study has been looking to get to the bottom of.

Research from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) found that one possible reason could be that because there is no legislation for existing buildings that requires them to be made energy-efficient, there is no onus on homeowners to take action.

This is despite regulations called the Code for Sustainable Homes stating that all new buildings must meet energy efficiency criteria.

"The report looks in some detail at the factors that get in the way of people engaging with energy efficiency and decarbonisation," said a DIUS spokesman.

"The hassle factor, the disruption and lack of trust in installers can all play a part."

The DIUS research concluded that if an MOT-style energy efficiency certificate was brought in for existing homes, homeowners would be forced to take measures to improve.

This wouldnt necessarily be a bad thing for homeowners as, aside from energy savings, recent research from the Energy Savings Trust shows that 53 per cent of buyers would pay more for a home that had green improvements such as a well-built conservatory.