Despite record numbers of green energy installations in 2024 and a current peak in the number of homes for sale ahead of the stamp duty deadline, prospective UK home buyers still need more support in identifying eco-friendly options when searching for their next property.
Analysis revealed by London-based consumer advice centre iChoosr shows that none of the top estate agent and property aggregator websites, such as Rightmove and Zoopla, include options to filter by energy efficiency, pre-existing sources of renewable energy, or eligibility for renewables when searching for a new home. This is despite iChoosr lobbying for these changes to be made in early 2024.
While a handful of sites, such as Savills and Knight Franks, include filtering for electric vehicle charging points, only OnTheMarket includes an option for ‘greener choice’ – though it is not clear how this is defined. More widely, Savills includes a filter for ‘staff accommodation’, Knight Franks includes one for ‘cinema room’, and Zoopla chooses to include one for ‘kitchen island’ over green energy filters – not necessarily aligning with the priorities of climate conscious prospective home buyers.
With gas and electricity bills set to increase this month, when the latest OFGEM Price Cap takes effect, many home-seekers have an increased interest in household energy generation as well as consumption and are looking for ways to be more energy efficient. iChoosr’s recommendations for these additions to property sites come as latest figures show more than 260,000 renewable energy installations, including solar panels and heat pumps, were fitted in UK homes and businesses in 2024. This was a record year, with a 7 percent increase in installs vs 2023, which was the previous record year.
Solar panels were the most popular eco technology in 2024, with more than 180,000 installations, however, heat pumps were the fastest-growing. In fact, there was a 43 percent increase in heat pump installations year-on-year, reaching almost 60,000 installations. This can be partly attributed to the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) which provides homes in England and Wales with grants of up to £7,500 for replacing a fossil fuel boiler with a heat pump. With these numbers continuing to rise, renewable energy options are a clear priority for UK households and iChoosr is keen to see more support for movers.
“More than ever, prospective home buyers are looking to adopt renewable energy sources when they make their next move and estate agents and property aggregators should be reflecting this enthusiasm” said George Frost, UK Country Manager at iChoosr. “We’re echoing our call from last year and recommending they add filtering for existing, and potential for, green energy sources, like solar panels and heat pumps, as well as energy efficiency, to their websites to help homebuyers navigate the decision-making process. Stats show that being eco-conscious is no longer a novelty and UK homeowners are increasingly seeking effective and sustainable solutions to improve their homes, increasing property value, whilst saving money on energy bills. Partnering with local authorities, iChoosr’s schemes make renewable energy sources more affordable and accessible, enabling households to reap environmental and financial benefits, whilst supporting the UK goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.”
iChoosr is pushing for the large-scale adoption of renewable energy sources, including solar panels, battery storage, EV chargers and heat pumps, as well as energy switching to renewable electricity tariffs. Its digital platforms simplify decision-making and reduce costs through group-buying schemes which connect energy-conscious people to qualified energy suppliers and installers.
Globally, more than 11 million households have joined the schemes so far, including Solar Together – a group-buying solar panel scheme, the Switch Together heat pump scheme - offering access to professional and competitively priced heat pump installations, and Big Community Switch – a collective energy switching scheme to save money on bills.
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