One-quarter of UK homeowners plan to make green upgrades in next 12 months, but cost still a key barrier

Immediate plans included composting bins at 10%, smart energy meters at 9%, and rainwater harvesting systems at 9%.

Higher earners were around twice as likely to have short-term improvement plans. Among households earning under £23,000 a year only 53% had a ten-year green upgrade plan, compared to 78% of those earning over £57,750.

Cost was the main hurdle, according to 74% of homeowners without upgrade plans.

Reasons included a reluctance to take on debt at 38%, disruption from the work at 32%, and limited financing options at 27%.

Almost one in five households, equivalent to 18%, said the type of property they lived has prevented them from making green changes.

The survey also found a significant rebound in plans for green upgrades in the first half of 2025 compared to late 2024 despite ongoing financial pressures.

The rise comes amid increased housing supply and renewed government focus on building more homes and raising energy standards, with proposals under consideration for Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards in social housing.

Within the next decade, 65% of homeowners said they had plans to make green home improvements.

Planned features included EV chargers at 34%, solar panels at 34%, triple glazing at 33%, and heat pumps – with 26% expecting to install a heat pump within the next 10 years.

Double-glazing was considered essential to 33% of homeowners, and 36% said it was very important.

The survey also recorded wider lifestyle changes on the rise – 72% of the adults surveyed said they were reducing food waste, 62% were minimising home energy use, and the use of electric or hybrid vehicle had risen to 11% from 9% a year earlier.

Lloyd Cochrane, head of mortgages at NatWest Group, said: “It’s promising to see that two-thirds of UK homeowners now have long-term plans to improve the environmental sustainability of their homes, but the research clearly shows that cost remains a significant barrier.

“Our challenge is to ensure these improvements are as accessible and affordable as possible.”