Trigger points: a convenient truth

Promoting energy efficiency in the home

3 Trigger points: a convenient truth
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Contents

Introduction 4

Summary and key findings 5

Background to trigger points 7

How trigger points can overcome market failure 8

The who, what and why of home refurbishment 10

The energy-saving stretch 12

Taking advantage of trigger points 14

Landlords 16

Builders 18

Technical analysis 20

Conclusion and next steps 23

The Green Deal 24

Find out more 26

Trigger points: a convenient truth 4
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Introduction

Building the demand for energy efficiency measures in That’s quite different to a ‘one-hit‘ approach where all
homes is one of the biggest single issues in the UK’s rooms and walls and widows are treated at once: to
climate change agenda. 27 per cent of the UK’s carbon use the jargon, ‘whole-house low-carbon retrofit’.
emissions come from homes. Stimulating action means Most recent research has assumed that large-scale
encouraging nearly 20m homeowners to act. carbon savings from UK homes will only be achieved
through whole-house retrofit. For this reason, alongside
This new research takes a wholly fresh look at how our householder research, we have also carried out
we promote energy efficiency in homes. We didn’t want technical research. These results show how
to start with energy-saving measures, which we know measure-by-measure, room-by-room installation can
people regard as important, but not an urgent priority. build to deliver very deep cuts in energy use and
We wanted to start with what householders are carbon emissions.
already doing in their homes.
The knowledge acquired from this new research will
British people invest billions each year in home help us:
improvements. They make those improvements to
improve space, value and décor. How can we build yywork with industry to ensure they are equipped to
from that enthusiasm and investment to encourage provide advice on what measures are appropriate
them to address energy efficiency in their homes at for each home. (A ‘whole house’ approach is an
the same time? unrealistic option for many homeowners – it is
impractical and/or unaffordable. We can encourage
We have looked at the whole range of home a practical step-by-step approach to energy
improvement projects – from reroofing and rewiring to efficiency that activates action at key trigger points
installing a new bathroom – and we’ve found in the life of homes.)
householders, across a broad range of ages and
household types, are surprisingly enthusiastic about yydevelop new approaches that enable people to
tackling many energy-saving measures when they’ve take action from where they are in their own life,
already got builders in. to initiate an increased uptake of energy-saving
measures
We’ve also spoken to builders and landlords. Builders
are confident in their energy-efficiency knowledge, but yyuse this insight and knowledge to help
not always sure when or how to offer it. Meanwhile organisations target those most likely to be
landlords continue to be focused on the financial responsive to energy efficiency messages
bottom line, but see the logic in tackling energy
efficiency when they’re improving their properties. yygive builders more confidence in presenting energy
efficiency options to homeowners who are making
Addressing energy efficiency alongside other improvements
refurbishment projects means fitting key measures
like insulation or advanced glazing on a room-by-
room basis over several years.
5 Trigger points: a convenient truth
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Summary of key findings

Key findings:
“Once you get someone in, you might as well.”
Homeowner, London, May 2010 yy22 per cent of homeowners – 3.9 million – are
planning or anticipating a major refurbishment
project that could be a trigger for improving energy
This research addresses trigger points – the times in efficiency within three years.
the life of a home where energy-saving measures can
be fitted as part of an existing or planned home yy85 per cent of homeowners express a willingness to
improvement project. How prepared are people to be stretch refurbishment budgets for energy efficiency.
nudged to take energy efficiency into account as they
undertake refurbishment projects to improve space, yyAcross all refurbishment projects, homeowners
value or décor? are willing to stretch their budget by an average
of around 10 per cent for energy efficiency
For this research we spoke principally to owner- improvements. That’s £527 on smaller projects,
occupiers, because 70 per cent of British householders £1,027 on larger projects.
own the home they live in. We also spoke to other key
groups involved in home refurbishment. First, private yyHomeowners with growing families are most likely
landlords (who own 14 per cent of homes): to be planning refurbishment projects and to be
do they feel the same way owner-occupiers do about able to spend extra for energy efficiency alongside
making energy-saving improvements at trigger points? the work they’ve planned.
And we spoke to builders: are they able and willing to
sell energy-saving measures when they’re working on yyPeople are most willing to stretch their budgets for
wider refurbishment projects? energy efficiency when they’re replacing windows –
the householders we surveyed said they’re willing
One of our main findings from this work is that to spend nearly 40 per cent more to get a more
home-owners do like the idea of undertaking energy- energy efficient window.
efficiency improvements on a one-room basis as they
undertake work in that room. Based on this insight, yyThe most common refurbishment projects are
we carried out technical modelling to explore the single-room redecorations and refitting. Seven out
challenges and opportunities posed by a room-by- of ten people like the idea of installing insulation
room approach to upgrading the energy performance and other energy-saving measures on a room-by-
of homes. room basis when they’re carrying out refurbishment
in a given room.

yyHomeowners tend to focus on the job in hand,

such as kitchen or bathroom refurbishment.
Even though they have the builders in, taking the
opportunity to upgrade external or cavity wall
insulation was seen as a separate job, unconnected
with the current project.
Trigger points: a convenient truth 6
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

yyPrivate landlords are planning bigger refurbishment Next Steps

projects, and planning to spend more on each We believe this research provides a new direction for
refurbishment project, than homeowners. Though advice on low-carbon home refurbishment.
they are more sceptical about energy efficiency
than owner-occupiers, they accept the logic of Based on this insight, the Energy Saving Trust will:
fitting energy-saving measures alongside other
refurbishment jobs. yymake trigger-point guidance available through
our impartial consumer advice service, helping
yyBuilders are keen to promote energy efficiency but householders to build energy efficiency into
they need support to overcome a trust barrier. They room-by-room upgrades
are very wary of being seen as selling unwanted
extras to homeowners who have employed them on yypilot new refurbishment guides, to help builders
a refurbishment project. promote energy-saving measures to householders
when they carry out other refurbishment work
yyTackling a house on a project-by-project or room-
by-room basis can build effectively to a very high yyshare this insight with manufacturers and retailers
standard of energy efficiency. We have identified of energy-saving products, showing what measures
how several different house types can achieve a can be achieved and how to achieve them
‘B’ grade on an Energy Performance Certificate by
making step-by-step improvements. yycarry out additional research on the practicalities
of achieving room-by-room refurbishment at a pace
sufficient to deliver an 80 per cent carbon reduction
from homes by 2050.
7 Trigger points: a convenient truth
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Background: understanding
energy-efficiency trigger points 4

3
Energy efficiency brings many benefits: it saves money yyInformation and awareness: many homeowners
on fuel bills, increases comfort and has a positive simply aren’t aware of key measures, or
impact on the environment. However, we know that overestimate the cost and trouble involved.
while many people like the idea of improving energy
efficiency in their homes, they don’t take action by yyHassle: with a perception that the work will1 be
installing energy-efficiency measures. Why? disruptive, and uncertainty over the benefits, many
homeowners find that acting on energy isn’t a
The Energy Saving Trust’s report At home with energy priority for them.
highlighted the main reasons for the market failure
around home energy efficiency: yyCost: although our work2shows that, for many
energy-saving measures, cost is not the primary
barrier, finding the cash for insulation, new
windows or a new boiler is a challenge for many
householders.

Key barriers for cavity-wall insulation Key barriers for loft insulation

4 4

3
3
1

2
2

1 Awareness 32% 1 Awareness 22%

2 Motivation 20% 2 Motivation 37%

3 Affordability 36% 3 Affordability 25%

4 Other 14% 4 Other 16%

4

Key barriers to loft and cavity-wall insulation, from At home with energy

3
1
Trigger points: a convenient truth 8
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

How trigger points can

overcome market failure
How it works The three kinds of measure
The term ‘trigger point’ can be applied to home We know from consumer research that not all
refurbishment in different ways. It can refer to an energy-efficiency improvements need a trigger
unplanned event in the life of the house, such as a point to get them going. Our research shows that
boiler breakdown, which ‘triggers’ change; or to a homeowners think of energy-saving improvements
human life-cycle event like retirement, marriage or a in three distinct ways:
new home, which can spur refurbishment work. In this
research we use the term ‘trigger point’ to mean any yyeasy energy-saving addition: this includes things
planned or anticipated home improvement project (for like low-energy light bulbs, or loft insulation:
which the primary motivation is not saving energy), affordable measures often done on a DIY basis.
alongside which energy-efficiency upgrades can be Easy additions are one-off actions that are
made. Some of the home improvement projects we considered and undertaken independent of
looked at are re-roofing, rewiring, loft conversion, other home improvements, so they don’t rely
building an extension, redecorating a living room, and on trigger points.
refitting a kitchen.
yyreplacements: for window, boiler or appliance
Our trigger point model suggests that energy-saving replacements, the trigger point is the replacement
measures such as insulation, energy-efficient windows job itself, and the opportunity is to choose the most
and draught-proofing can be fitted more easily within energy-efficient products.
or alongside other refurbishment projects. That is
because taking action at trigger points addresses the yymajor improvements: some energy-saving measures,
three main barriers to installation: particularly wall (both cavity and solid-wall
insulation) and floor insulation, are seen as creating
yyInformation and awareness are increased: the two of the main barriers – cost and hassle. In this
homeowner is already engaging with building research we particularly wanted to see whether
professionals who can provide advice on energy- homeowners would be more receptive to installing
saving measures. these major improvements at refurbishment
trigger points.
yyHassle is reduced: at a trigger point the homeowner
is already facing and prepared for the disruption of
home improvement.

yyCost barriers are reduced: at a trigger point it

may be cheaper to fit an energy-saving measure
because workers and some of the necessary
equipment are already on-site.
9 Trigger points: a convenient truth
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Trigger points and building regulations

Building regulations already require energy-efficiency
measures at some refurbishment trigger points.
For example, nearly everyone replacing a new central
heating boiler is required to install a high-efficiency
condensing boiler, and also to fit heating controls if
these are not already present. Similarly,
in England and Wales, when more than half the inside
surface of an external solid wall is stripped back to
the brickwork, building regulations require that
internal solid wall insulation be installed.

A broad trigger-point approach in building regulations

is often called ‘consequential improvements’. Under
consequential improvements regulations, building
owners carrying out larger and higher-cost
refurbishment projects have to make energy-saving
improvements across the property. Scottish Building
Standards incorporate a version of this approach
where home extensions are planned. In Scotland,
when owners of an energy-inefficient home build an
extension, they have the option either to upgrade the
energy performance of the existing building, or to
build the planned extension using higher than normal
standards of insulation.

In England and Wales, consequential improvements

only apply for buildings over 1000m2 – which excludes
the vast majority of homes.
Trigger points: a convenient truth 10
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

The who, what and why

of home refurbishment
One in five households is planning a major Number of projects planned
refurbishment project in the next three years, usually
for the following year. The most common projects are Overall, we found that families with dependent
room upgrades: 19 per cent of people at any given children are planning the most refurbishment
time are planning on refitting their bathroom or projects – on average, three major and more minor
kitchen. This compares to the five per cent who are refurbishment projects in the next three years. Other
planning to build an extension, and the two per cent types of household are thinking about 2.5 projects, on
who are expecting to undertake a whole-house average, over the same period.
upgrade in the next three years.
Typical refurbishment projects
Who is planning refurbishment for different householders
In order to analyse how different types of households Singles are considering projects to update their home,
undertake refurbishment we looked at households in rather than to add space. Perhaps reducing energy
five life-stages: bills is a more important motivator for this group,
reflecting the added financial pressure of living alone.
yysingles (of all ages), or people sharing. They have the lowest average project budgets
(£3,795).
yyyoung couples.
Young couples are most likely to be updating their
yyfamilies
0 with young children.
5 10 15 homes to suit20personal tastes25and improve the
30
property value. They’re likely to engage in upgrade
yyfamilies with growing children. projects, such as room-by-room refurbishment.

yyfamilies with older (16+) children. For families with young children, running out of space
is a big trigger for refurbishment projects, and
yyempty nesters, whose children had moved on. extensions and conversions are important projects

25.7 million households in UK

Home owners account for 70% of the population

17.5 million households

3.9 million households are considering refurbishments in next 3 years (22%)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Million
Source: Ipsos Nat Rep CapiBus - wtd data
11 Trigger points: a convenient truth
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

undertaken by this group. Average spend on Surprisingly, among the householders we asked,
refurbishment projects is the highest (£6,775 per addressing cold and damp rated lower than saving
project) in this group. energy and, for most projects, even lower than
carbon-saving as a reason to start a room refit.
Families with growing children are also focused on But once people have decided to carry out a
space, though they may also look at modernisation refurbishment project, our work shows that warmth
projects such as kitchen upgrades. More than in other and comfort are very good drivers for selling the
groups, there is reliance on financing projects from ancillary benefits of additional energy-saving action.
debt rather than from personal savings. In other words, although very few people start a room
refurbishment project just to tackle cold and damp,
Families with non-dependent children are once more they may very well be persuaded to take on a side
likely to be thinking about room upgrades rather than project of insulation to address it.
major projects. They may be planning to leave larger
projects until after children move out; many are aware Among people who are planning major refurbishment
of potential refurbishment projects, but are not projects, such as building a conservatory, converting a
actively planning them. loft or refurbishing the whole property, primary
reasons for starting the project are much the same as
Empty-nesters generally have a number of larger for room refitters:
projects in mind; planning for retirement is an
important factor in their thinking about refurbishment. yyspace
They also recognise that they may need to undertake
some unplanned projects such as replacing the boiler. yymodernisation
However, their plans can be constrained by financial
reality: project budgets are more limited for this group yyimproving property values.
than for families with children.
When refurbishing a whole house, or fitting a new roof,
saving energy does become more important as a motivator:
Does energy-saving motivate people to saving energy is important for 35 per cent of the
start refurbishment projects? whole-house refurbishers, carbon reduction for 29 per
cent, and addressing cold and damp for 21 per cent.

The primary reasons people cite when planning to Unsurprisingly, saving energy is an important primary
upgrade a room are: issue for well over half of people thinking about
replacing their boiler or windows, while saving carbon
yyaesthetics is a factor for a quarter of these people.

yymodernisation Most households (79 per cent) are planning to pay for
their home improvements from savings. ten per cent
yyimproving property value. will take out a bank loan, and a further ten per cent
will use a mortgage extension.
Not many people start a project for energy-related
reasons. Energy-saving is a primary motivator for
ten per cent of people planning a room upgrade,
and carbon-saving for five per cent of them.
Trigger points: a convenient truth 12
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

The energy-saving stretch

Of households planning refurbishment projects, 85 per And people who were who were considering replacing
cent expressed willingness to stretch their refurbishment windows were willing to spend the most extra on
budget to pay for some energy-efficiency measures. energy-saving, at 39 per cent on average – a stretch
of £1,832 on a typical cost of £4,680.
Across a range of refurbishment projects and across
our six life-stage groups, we asked householders how Variation across life stages
big that stretch might be. On average, for both large Across all our six life-stage groups, the willingness to
and small projects and at all life stages, people were flex budgets for energy-saving was very consistent at
willing to allocate an extra ten per cent – typically around 10 per cent of project budgets. However,
between £500 and £1,000 – on top of their project because families with young and growing children
costs. The one exception to this was people who were were generally undertaking larger projects, the
considering replacing windows, who were willing to absolute amount they were prepared to spend on
stretch their budgets by around £1,800 for the most energy-saving was also higher: an average of £680,
energy-saving choice. compared to between £400 and £450 for young
couples and singles.
The persuasive benefits
We have created a simple picture of the potential for
We gave homeowners a list and asked them which the energy-saving stretch between different life-stage
energy-saving benefits would influence them to groups, based on:
consider stretching their budget. The main benefit
cited as persuasive (by 68 per cent) was savings on yyexpressed willingness to stretch budgets for
energy bills. Half wanted to make the room warmer, energy efficiency
while a third wanted to increase the value of their
home. Reducing carbon emissions was cited as a yythe number of projects undertaken
persuasive benefit by 21 per cent of the people we
surveyed. yythe size of those projects
Variation across projects
For room-by-room projects we found that homeowners
were fairly consistent in the amount of stretch they felt
their budget would tolerate. For most single-room
projects the amount was between £500 and £600: 27
per cent on the average cost of redecorating a living
room, and 10 per cent on refitting a kitchen.

For larger projects – re-roofing, building an extension or

complete rewiring – people were willing to stretch by
between £600 and £1,025. (This highest amount was for
people undertaking whole-house refurbishment, where it
represented a nine per cent stretch.)

People were prepared to consider paying £570 more to

ensure that a boiler replacement was as energy-
saving as possible.
13 Trigger points: a convenient truth
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Trigger point potential

Young couples Families with young or growing Families with older Empty nesters Singles
Carefully planning children children Preparing for Undertaking
their future. Starting Often running out of space. Involved Primarily driven retirement. modernisation
a family, moving in higher value projects. Recognise by functional Interested in projects. Lower
home, making the benefit of future-proofing and need to update specific projects budgets.
property more reducing CO2 . their properties. -upgrading the
contemporary, Considering fewer heating, adding a
adding value. projects overall. conservatory.

High
Potential

Low

This chart highlights the fact that families with children (young and growing families)
represent the best potential audience for the energy-saving stretch message.
Trigger points: a convenient truth 14
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Taking advantage of trigger points

As well as the potential for the energy-saving stretch, Approach 1: room by room
we wanted to discover how best to promote additional
energy-saving action at trigger points. We showed homeowners a set of materials that
explained the benefits of improving insulation when
To do this we carried out research with homeowners redecorating an individual room. We highlighted
who were undertaking different home improvement internal wall or floor insulation as measures that
projects. All the homeowners we spoke could be undertaken as part of a room refurbishment,
to at this stage were undertaking home improvement particularly when walls were being stripped or new
projects for spatial, aesthetic or modernisation reasons. flooring put down.

We asked the homeowners to review written materials Our materials presented the benefits of reducing heat
representing two distinct approaches to energy-saving loss and carbon emissions and suggested that
as an addition to other planned work. The first set of homeowners could install insulation as a way of
materials encouraged the homeowner to undertake future-proofing against the building standards that all
energy-saving refurbishment in just one room, homes in future may be expected to reach.
augmenting a planned single room refurbishment
project. The second set encouraged the homeowner to Homeowners seemed responsive to this proposition.
undertake whole-house insulation measures, such as In both pre- and post-1930 properties, around 70 per
cavity wall insulation. cent of people liked the idea of room-by-room energy-
efficiency refurbishment. We also spoke to builders
about the idea. Based on the proposition, 73 per cent
felt that their customers would be interested in
installing additional insulation when refurbishing
a room.
15 Trigger points: a convenient truth
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Approach 2: The whole house

Our second approach was designed to explore whether
whole-house insulation measures could be promoted
to homeowners who were undertaking a range of
improvement projects (including, but not only,
room upgrades). This approach particularly involved
promoting wall insulation – principally external wall
insulation for pre-1920 homes, and cavity wall
insulation for mid-20th century homes. Our materials
suggested that installing whole-house insulation
would be less disruptive when there were already
builders or installers in the house.

This whole-house insulation approach was less

popular than the room-by-room approach. Homeowners
struggled to see the connection between the
improvements they were planning to make and the
suggestion that they should install insulation across
their whole home. Some people cited cost as a reason
for rejecting the proposal; indeed, the Energy Saving
Trust report At home with energy has shown that
many householders believe cavity wall insulation to be
significantly more expensive than it actually is.
In spite of this, we found that a range of financing
options – a grant of up to 30 per cent, or a ‘Pay as
You Save’ option – did not significantly change
householders’ enthusiasm for the whole-house
approach.
Trigger points: a convenient truth 16
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Landlords: A different
trigger point opportunity
Landlords’ motivation Refurbishment undertaken by landlords
Currently 16 per cent of homes in England are The refurbishment projects undertaken by landlords
privately rented, so landlords are clearly an important are significantly different to those undertaken by
part of this equation. We carried out a survey of their homeowners. In particular, landlords are much more
attitudes towards refurbishment and energy-saving. likely to undertake a whole-house project, using the
Most private landlords own fewer than three void period between tenancies to refurbish several
properties, so we concentrated on talking to these rooms in one go. Because they are more often looking
small-portfolio landlords. at whole-house projects, the budgets they have in
mind are also higher.
We found that landlords take a functional, economic
approach to upgrading their properties. Landlords’ attitudes
Most landlords remain sceptical about the value of
“You want something that is modern, but not energy-saving improvements, because they don’t
too nice like you would have it in your house, currently envisage it being reflected in rental or
there’s no point.” capital values.
Landlord, London

“It would be a big waste of money… tenants

Landlords were undertaking refurbishment projects for would not know if that would make a
three principal reasons: difference or not.”
Landlord, Birmingham
yyto ensure that properties look up-to-date and clean
in order to rent out
The exception to this rule is double glazing: landlords
yyto target the property to a certain type of tenant believe double glazed windows attract a better-quality
such as families, or tenants not on benefits tenant and a longer lease. Reflecting their belief that
tenants aren’t particularly interested in energy-saving,
yyto improve the ultimate saleability of their only a third of the landlords we surveyed said they
housing stock have ever been asked for the EPC (Energy
Performance Certificate) by tenants. Having said this,
nearly half (44 per cent) of the 400 landlords in our
survey don’t know the energy rating of their properties.
The rest stated that their rating is B or C.
17 Trigger points: a convenient truth
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Landlords and the energy-saving stretch

Despite their scepticism about the value of installing
energy-saving measures, nine out of ten landlords
claim to be willing to stretch their budgets to include
an element for energy-saving measures. The average
stretch envisaged by landlords is nine per cent –
which works out as £1,118.

Because they tend to undertake more whole-house

refurbishments, landlords are more open to installing
whole-house insulation, and less motivated than
owner-occupiers by the idea of insulating within
single-room refurbishment projects. Despite caveats
(would it increase rental opportunity? Could I increase
the rent to cover it? Would it add to the property
value?), 66 per cent found the prospect of introducing
insulation alongside a whole-house refurbishment
motivating.
Trigger points: a convenient truth 18
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Builders: overcoming the trust gap

Eighty per cent of small builders work on The trust gap

refurbishment jobs in the owner-occupier sector.
Alongside our research with homeowners and According to builders, the main barrier to promoting
landlords, we also asked builders about promoting additional energy-saving measures to their clients is
energy-saving to their customers. trust. They are wary of promoting additional measures
because homeowners would see it as an attempt to
Builders’ views on projects and budgets add to the final bill.
We asked builders about the refurbishment projects
they were employed to carry out. Their understanding
of the most common reasons to start refurbishment “Builders have quite a bad reputation so you’re
projects matched the homeowners’ – namely, always viewed suspiciously. The minute you
modernisation, more space and adding value to the walk into people’s homes it’s like a battle.”
home. Builders’ estimates of project costs were rather Builder, Birmingham
higher than the more optimistic estimates of
householders, averaging £19,000 for the highest-value
projects (conservatory, loft conversion, extension), This view was backed by homeowners in our study:
compared to homeowners’ predicted £14,000.

In line with our homeowner research, builders “These tradesmen are businessmen – they’re
expected young families to undertake the most going to try and sell you to do more rooms.”
refurbishment projects. Homeowner, London

Builders say that around a third of their clients ask

about energy-saving, but that the proportion who However, both builders and homeowners agreed that,
actually include it is much lower. They are very clear once trust is established, homeowners view builders
that this is client-led: most builders feel they have a as experts with valuable experience. At this point,
good knowledge of insulation and other energy-saving suggestions of additions to the project that are logical
measures, but they are reluctant to make suggestions and make economic sense often are taken up.
for extra work for fear of losing business.

“Once they trust you and see that you will do

a good job, that is the time to say ‘have you
thought about x?”
Tradesman, London
19 Trigger points: a convenient truth
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Often these additional suggestions are made once the

work is underway, rather than at the start, when the
homeowner is more wary of the cost implications.

Reputation is important. Word of mouth, seeing

examples of work, and recommended lists are all
trust-builders for employers.

“You find that if you get a good tradesman you

spread the word.”
Homeowner, London

Builders’ attitudes to the

energy-saving stretch
We showed builders the materials we had put together
to encourage homeowners to take action on energy-
saving alongside room-by-room refurbishment (see
page 14). Agreeing with homeowners, builders felt
their clients would be motivated by this. The builders
expected a project budget of £5,000 to include around
a 20 per cent energy-saving stretch.

Just as important, builders felt that independent

guidance and information about energy-saving
measures would be a useful tool to help them
overcome the trust gap with householders.
Trigger points: a convenient truth 20
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Technical analysis: achieving whole-house

low-carbon refurbishment through trigger points
Most studies of the potential for significant energy- The trigger-point approach in an end-of-terrace home
efficiency improvements in existing homes focus on Our analysis assumes that the following energy-
whole-house retrofits – where the homeowner refits efficiency measures would be installed at trigger
walls, floors, roof, windows and heating system all in points, in the following order, for a typical
one go. But the trigger-point approach suggests that in unrefurbished solid-wall end-of-terrace home with
real life people are more likely to install different single glazing, minimal loft insulation and an old,
energy-saving measures over time, particularly on a G-rated boiler:
room-by-room basis.
yyloft insulation: undertaken as a one-off project to
Is it possible to achieve the same carbon and energy bring loft insulation to modern standards.
savings from a trigger-point-based approach as by a
whole-house retrofit? What are the technical yyboiler and heating system improvement: undertaken
challenges posed by improving rooms one at a time? when the old boiler breaks down: installing a
modern A-rated condensing boiler, lagging pipes
To investigate the technical issues we worked with and installing a fully-insulated hot-water cylinder
BRE. Using SAP, the standard software for modelling with cylinder thermostat. When the heating system
home energy performance in the UK, we modelled is refurbished, we assume that an electric room
staged energy improvements to different parts of the heater would be taken out, as the improved heating
home. We found that energy-saving measures installed and insulation mean this is no longer needed.
in a typical home on a trigger-point basis can build
effectively over time to achieve a ‘B’ rating on an yyroom-by-room refurbishments: When each room is
Energy Performance Certificate. (The average home in refurbished, ‘A’ rated double glazing, internal solid-
the UK is rated ‘D’ on the EPC’s A-G scale.) Depending wall insulation, low-energy lighting are installed.
on the condition of the house before refurbishment, Floor insulation is fitted in ground-floor rooms. In
achieving a ‘B’ rating can often mean an 80 per cent the kitchen and bathroom, water-saving measures
saving on the home’s previous carbon emissions. are installed.
21 Trigger points: a convenient truth
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Carbon savings from trigger point refurbishment to EST advanced standard: end-of-terrace property

100
90
% improvement over baseline

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Heating Hot water Roof Kitchen Living room Bedroom Bathroom Whole house
Heating and boiler Loft Room-by-room refurbishment

The chart above shows how, by tackling heating Achieving these modelled savings in a real home will
systems and lofts and then taking a room-by-room depend on several factors, including:
approach, we can arrive at a carbon emissions
reduction of 70 per cent. The next step, to 80 per cent yyThe order in which energy efficiency work is
for the whole dwelling, is achieved by insulating the undertaken: For example, if a boiler and heating
remaining spaces: additional bedrooms, hallways and system is renewed before other energy efficiency
any other central spaces. projects are undertaken, the boiler may end up
being larger than required once the whole house
In terms of financial savings, we have found that the has been insulated. However, the advantage of
biggest bill savings – starting from an unimproved tackling the heating system first is that it delivers
house - are delivered from making the heating system the largest single impact
improvements, which for our typical end terrace house
save 45 per cent on energy bills. Again, starting from yyThe size of rooms in relation to the overall property
a typical unimproved end-terrace, the impact on bills
from upgrading individual rooms varies between five yyBehavioural factors: how the homeowners occupy
per cent for a bedroom and nine per cent for the living their home (particularly in regard to which rooms
room. This could equate to a £135 per year fuel bill are occupied and heated the most) and whether
saving. The biggest saving comes from the living room they change their behaviour after installing energy-
in an end terrace because it is the largest room and saving measures
has a large single glazed bay window: applying double
glazing achieves a big reduction in heat loss.
Trigger points: a convenient truth 22
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Stepping stone and advanced standards Challenges for a room-by-room approach

We have modelled the impact of two levels of A room-by-room approach does pose some special
refurbishment. The advanced standard shown in our challenges. Firstly, internal wall insulation – a key
end-of-terrace example achieves an 80 per cent measure in our model of room improvements – may not
carbon saving. This standard is based on our Energy be suitable for all rooms, particularly very small rooms
Saving Trust Sustainable Refurbishment Guidance, or rooms with period features.
which identifies best practice for installing energy-
saving measures in existing homes. Secondly, it’s best if insulation forms a continuous layer
around walls and floor. So when installing internal wall
The stepping stone standard is based on minimum insulation in a ground-floor room in an old house,
building regulations for the energy-saving measures homeowners should aim to fit floor insulation at the
concerned. That does not imply that it’s a basic same time, to avoid cold bridges. These are cold points
standard, because it still encourages homeowners where different elements of a room join, such as at the
to undertake energy-saving measures (for example, edges of windows or between walls and floor.
fitting floor insulation) that they might not otherwise Condensation and then mould often build up around cold
undertake. bridges. If homeowners can’t afford, or don’t want, to
insulate the floor and walls together, they will need to
discuss with their builder how to avoid problems that
could lead to damp and mould.
23 Trigger points: a convenient truth
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Conclusions

Our research tells that there is a trend towards

home improvement, rather than moving house.
Room refurbishments are the most common home
improvement projects, though the type of project
undertaken varies considerably by life stage.

Incorporating energy efficiency on a project-by-project,

room-by-room basis is attractive to most homeowners,
and they are willing to stretch budgets accordingly.
The biggest drivers for installing energy-saving
measures are a desire to cut energy bills
and the anticipated benefit of a warmer, more
comfortable home.

Considering volume of work planned, refurbishment

budgets, and willingness to stretch for energy
efficiency, the most promising groups to target
with a trigger-point energy-efficiency message
are households with young and growing children,
and empty nesters.

Builders are enthusiastic in theory about promoting

energy-saving measures alongside or within other
jobs, but in practice they rarely lead discussions about
installing extra measures. They are understandably
loath to risk losing business by suggesting expensive
additional projects. Builders would welcome
independent information materials and other
mechanisms to help them overcome the trust barrier
with their customers.

Landlords have their own agendas: they are interested

in improving their properties on a whole-house, rather
than room-by-room, basis, but only if they feel the
value of the property will rise and they can recoup
the investment through charging higher rent.
Nonetheless, nearly all of them also accept the logic
of making energy-saving improvements as they are
doing other work.
Trigger points: a convenient truth 24
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

The Green Deal

Through its Green Deal programme, the government Cavity wall insulation and external solid wall insulation
wants many more private sector providers to get Not all measures lend themselves to our trigger-point
involved in selling energy-efficiency on a mass scale. approach. We found that whole-house cavity-wall
Large, established companies should be well placed insulation and external solid wall insulation are
to seek out customers who are going through energy- unlikely to be stimulated through this route except
efficiency trigger points and to communicate the Green among the small minority of people who are planning
Deal to them. a whole-house refurbishment. Homeowners simply
don’t see the link between a focused refurbishment
Our research suggests that the most successful Green project, affecting one part of the house, and a major
Deal providers will be those who can ensure that insulation project affecting the whole house.
offers of energy-saving measures fit with homeowners’
existing plans. Green Deal financing offers can also be For cavity-wall insulation, the message still needs to
set alongside homeowners’ own funding for energy- get through that this is a low-cost, low-hassle
saving measures. We found that people who were measure; for most homes it costs under £500, pays
undertaking refurbishment projects were typically back in a few years, and is done in a day with no
willing to put £500 to £1,000 into additional energy internal disruption. There is no reason why cavity-wall
efficiency, usually from savings rather than loans. insulation should not be perceived – and undertaken
– as an easy energy-saving addition that doesn’t need
The government also views the Green Deal as an to wait for a refurbishment trigger point.
important mechanism to stimulate uptake of energy-
efficiency measures in the private rented sector, which For external solid-wall insulation the challenge is
currently has some of the least energy-efficient greater, and the trigger point for action may need to
homes. Our research shows that Green Deal providers come from outside rather than inside the house. A
will want to work with private landlords, particularly community project, or local authority, area-based
around the void trigger-point between tenancies. campaign, may work better for this measure.

Windows Whole-house refurbishment

Our research shows that homeowners are keen to Two per cent of homeowners are planning a whole-
have the most efficient glazing and are willing to house refurbishment in the next three years. That’s
stretch their budgets very significantly to achieve it. relatively few, compared to the number of people who
For companies building packages of measures for the are undertaking room-by-room refurbishment.
Green Deal, highly efficient glazing may be a powerful
part of the package – especially used as leverage for Whole-house retrofit is still the best way to deliver
other measures such as internal wall insulation. For large-scale emissions reductions in homes. However, for
practical reasons too, it usually makes sense to have a third of that two per cent of homeowners, saving
internal wall insulation fitted at the same time as a energy and carbon is an important motivating factor for
new window. starting their refurbishment project. It’s a small sub-
group, but this 0.6 per cent of homeowners refurbishes
well over 100,000 homes a year. It’s important to reach
and mobilise these 100,000 homeowners who are already
motivated and planning for whole-house low-energy
retrofit: they can become exemplars of the full potential
for large-scale energy and carbon saving in homes.
25 Trigger points: a convenient truth
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Next Steps
Based on this research, the Energy Saving Trust is
working to ensure that a growing number of people
are nudged to tackle energy efficiency at refurbishment
trigger points. We’re doing that in the following ways:

yypiloting guides that builders and other tradespeople

can use inside the home to influence more energy
efficient upgrades

yysharing our insight on trigger points with key

interested parties, including Green Deal providers,
builders’ merchants, social housing providers and
building professionals, to help them take advantage
of this opportunity with robust data on savings

yyrolling out advice on trigger points through our national

advice service, to ensure a robust and practical
advice service which supports house-holders who are
considering room-by-room upgrades

yylooking at the supply chain challenges. (Working

with BRE, we have calculated that achieving an
80 per cent carbon-reduction target from homes
means improving one room in existing housing
stock every minute between now and 2050. We
are currently exploring a project to see how the
UK can overcome existing supply chain challenges
to deliver room-by-room refurbishment at this
ambitious pace.)
Trigger points: a convenient truth 26
Promoting energy efficiency in the home

Find out more

This short research summary presents only the outline Opportunities

of a much richer story, based on five research strands: The data we gained in the course of this research can
be drilled down into to create enhanced profiles and
Homeowner qualitative research: to gain qualitative forecasts, calculate cost-effectiveness, and identify
insights on the emotional drivers behind home the best energy-saving measures for a project.
refurbishment process and consideration of energy Combined with our housing modelling capability, this
improvements. creates a platform for creating local, regional and
socio-demographic pictures of the potential market for
Homeowner quantitative research: to quantify the size energy-saving measures.
of opportunity to introduce energy efficiency into
refurbishment projects at different life-stage points, If you would like to work with us on projects requiring
different refurbishment projects and different energy a more detailed look at this data, contact David
efficiency measures. Weatherall at the Energy Saving Trust.

Landlord quantitative research: to understand the

drivers for smaller landlords (with less than five
properties) to undertake refurbishment, and their
attitudes to installing energy-saving measures at
trigger points.

Builders and tradespeople, quantitative and qualitative

research: to understand builders’ willingness to
discuss energy-efficiency measures with customers,
their wider attitude to energy-saving measures and
their assessment of customers’ willingness to spend.

Technical modelling: SAP-based modelling work to

see how energy saving action taken at trigger points
could – over time – build to deliver significant whole
house carbon savings in a wide variety of different
house types.
Energy Saving Trust
21 Dartmouth Street, London SW1H 9BP
Tel. 0800 512 012
Web: energysavingtrust.org.uk