The first, conducted by a UK-based comparison service, found that most landlords and private homeowners are deterred from pursuing energy efficiency upgrades due to steep expenses. Despite the government’s £13.2 billion investment in retrofit schemes, 61% of homeowners say the cost of energy-saving measures is the main reason they’re holding back.
In a survey of 1,000 homeowners, 55% reported making minor improvements to cut energy use—such as switching to LED lighting or upgrading thermostats—but only 33% are considering more substantial retrofits. These larger upgrades include solar panels, heat pumps, and enhanced insulation, all of which come with significant price tags.
The financial barrier is particularly pronounced among older homeowners: 71% of respondents aged 55 and over identified cost as the biggest hurdle to retrofitting.
Homeowners aged 25 to 35 are showing the strongest appetite for eco-friendly improvements, driven largely by the promise of lower energy bills. A recent survey found that 71% in this age group would retrofit their homes—if financial assistance were available.
Retrofitting is also seen as a smart move for resale as over half (55%) of respondents believe energy-efficient upgrades make properties more attractive to buyers. Nearly three in five (57%) said they’d pay a premium for homes powered by renewable or low-carbon energy sources.
The numbers suggest growing market value for green homes: 25% of homeowners would spend an extra £15,000 to £25,000 for a sustainable property, while 11% are willing to pay more than £45,000.
Yet despite this interest, many feel left in the dark. Almost 39% of homeowners say their local council fails to provide adequate information or support around retrofitting.
City-level data reveals widespread dissatisfaction with local council support for retrofitting, with residents in Edinburgh (48%), Belfast (47%), Nottingham (46%), Leeds (45%), and Glasgow (43%) expressing concern over the lack of clear information.
While nearly half of UK respondents (49%) recognise retrofitting as a key strategy for cutting carbon emissions and achieving net zero, many feel ill-equipped to act. The findings suggest a significant knowledge gap—one that risks undermining national climate goals unless councils step up with better outreach and practical guidance.
Audit reveals major failures in government’s Home Retrofit Scheme.
On the same day the comparison service released new data on retrofitting costs, a damning report from the National Audit Office has exposed serious flaws in the government’s flagship energy efficiency programme.
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme—designed to combat fuel poverty and cut carbon emissions by requiring energy firms to fund home insulation—has been plagued by poor-quality installations, weak oversight, and inadequate auditing. These failures have left tens of thousands of households facing repair work to fix issues such as damp and mould.
According to the report, an estimated 22,000 to 23,000 homes with external wall insulation installed under ECO—representing 98% of such installations—now require corrective work. Internal insulation has also suffered, with 9,000 to 13,000 homes (29% of the total) affected by serious defects. A small but concerning number of cases pose immediate health and safety risks.
Widespread failings in the government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme have been linked to a combination of underqualified contractors, unclear standards, and cost-cutting practices, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).
The report highlights that many installations were subcontracted to firms or individuals lacking proper certification or expertise. Confusion over which technical standards applied to which types of work further undermined quality, while some businesses were found to have cut corners during both design and installation.
The NAO also pointed to systemic governance failures. Weak government oversight meant serious issues went undetected for too long. The consumer protection framework was described as overly complex and ineffective, with fragmented responsibilities and a lack of clear accountability. Inadequate auditing and monitoring allowed some installers to exploit loopholes and manipulate the system.
Reacting to the findings, the head of the HomeOwners Alliance condemned the mismanagement, calling the misuse of public funds “an absolute disgrace.”
Paul Higgins says: “Once again, public money has been used to fund cowboy builders, leaving homeowners with damp, mouldy and unsafe homes. The National Audit Office report lays bare how weak oversight and a broken consumer protection system have failed the very people these schemes were meant to help. It’s yet more evidence that the government must act urgently to regulate and license builders and installers … Without proper regulation, homeowners will never have the confidence to invest their hard-earned money in improving their homes.
“We fear this is only the tip of the iceberg. External and internal wall insulation account for just 8% of installations under these schemes, leaving 92% still unexamined. We urge the Government to take action on these other measures.”