Report Reveals The UK’s Most Eco-Focused Trades As Demand For Green Improvements Accelerates

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  Posted by: electime      13th April 2023

  • Rated People analysed more than 1 million home improvement jobs posted by UK homeowners through its platform to conduct the research
  • Electricians, handypeople and bathroom fitters are the top three most eco-focused trades
  • Giving quotes remotely, taking more local jobs and getting electric vehicles are key ways tradespeople will be going greener this year
  • Demand for at-home electric car charging points is up by 2406 per cent – other eco adaptions to see big rises in demand include solar panels, biomass boilers and thermal insulation
  • One in two (45 per cent ) homeowners in the UK are making their homes more environmentally friendly and energy efficient this year – a huge jump from one in four (25 per cent ) in 2022

This Earth Day, new research from the find-a-tradesperson platform, Rated People reveals which trades are the most committed to sustainability, how tradespeople are going greener this year and which eco-home improvements are seeing the biggest increase in homeowner demand.

The research is part of the newly launched 2023 edition of the Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report, where Rated People analysed around 1.1 million home improvement jobs posted through its platform by UK homeowners, and spoke to thousands of tradespeople and homeowners across the UK.

The UK’s Most Eco-Focused Trades

Homeowner demand for eco-home improvements has increased considerably over the past two years as people try to live more sustainably and find ways to reduce the cost of their energy bills.

Not only are they looking for ways to be greener around the home themselves, but one in three (34 per cent) UK homeowners also say they’d be more likely to choose a tradesperson if they were environmentally friendly, so it’s more important than ever for tradespeople to improve their green credentials.

This year, Rated People’s research shows electricians are the most committed to sustainability, with almost nine in 10 (86 per cent) making changes to their businesses to make them more environmentally friendly. Handypeople are second with 78 per cent making eco changes. Bathroom fitters (75 per cent) take third, gardeners (71 per cent) are in fourth place and builders (64 per cent) take fifth position.

The top trades that will make their businesses more environmentally friendly in 2023 (per cent)

1. Electricians 86
2. Handypeople 78
3. Bathroom fitters 75
4. Gardeners/ landscape gardeners 71
5. Builders 64
6. Plumbers 58
7. Painters and decorators 58
8. Carpenters/ joiners 54
9. Plasterers/ renderers 50
10. Roofers 48
11. Gas/ heating engineers 46
12. Tilers 38

How Tradespeople Are Going Greener This Year

More than three-quarters (78 per cent) of UK tradespeople say they will be making changes to their business and ways of working to be more environmentally friendly this year. Well over half (59 per cent) say it’s because they care about the planet, and 42 per cent think homeowners want businesses to be more eco-focused.

In 2023, more than half of UK tradespeople (52 per cent) say they’ll take on more local jobs to cut down travel time so they use less fuel and 4 in 10 (41 per cent) will start giving quotes remotely to reduce the amount of time they spend on the road. Tradespeople will also be improving their recycling methods, using second-hand parts where possible and starting to drive electric vehicles to make their businesses more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

How tradespeople will adapt their businesses to become more eco-friendly in 2023 (per cent)

1. Taking more local jobs to reduce travel time (fuel) 52
2. Giving more quotes remotely to cut down on driving time (fuel) 41
3. Improving recycling 35
4. Reducing waste 31
5. Using environmentally friendly materials/ products 30
6. Using British parts where possible/support other local businesses 20
7. Using second-hand parts where possible 16
8. Getting an electric vehicle 13

The Rise In Demand For Eco Home Improvements

Almost twice as many homeowners want to have ‘eco home improvements’ installed this year than in 2022. Last year, one in four (25 per cent) homeowners made their homes more energy efficient and environmentally friendly, while in 2023, this increases considerably to almost one in two (45 per cent) and this increase in demand presents a sizeable opportunity for tradespeople in the UK.

When looking at the volume of home improvement jobs posted through Rated People by UK homeowners over the past two years, the trades platform can reveal the top 10 eco adaptations that are seeing the biggest increase in homeowner demand.

At-home electric car charging points have seen the steepest rise, with demand going up by 2406 per cent in the last two years. In second place are biomass boilers with an increase of 225 per cent. Energy-producing solar panels are in third position, with demand rising by 222 per cent. Demand for thermal insulation has gone up by 143 per cent and triple glazing has increased by 125 per cent.

The top 10 eco-home improvements with the biggest increase in demand (per cent)

1. At-home electric car charging point +2406
2. Biomass boiler +225
3. Solar panels +222
4. Thermal insulation +143
5. Triple glazing +125
6. External wall insulation +70
7. Living roof +67
8. Double glazing +12
9. uPVC windows and doors +11
10. Water underfloor heating +10

The Biggest Opportunities in Sustainability For UK Tradespeople

As part of the research, Rated People spoke to homeowners who will be having eco improvements installed this year to discover which ones they are planning to have. For tradespeople looking to diversify their skills to capitalise on this increasing focus on sustainability, these are the top 20 most in-demand eco adaptations for 2023.

Four of the top five eco home improvements that homeowners want to install in 2023 are related to reducing energy usage – the top eco improvement planned is a smart meter. In second place is draught proofing, and in third position is installing extra insulation. Other popular eco-home improvements for 2023 include: solar panels, electric car charging points, heat pumps and underfloor heating.

Top 20 eco home improvements homeowners are planning to top 20 install in 2023

  1. Smart meter
  1. Draught proofing
  1. Extra insulation
  1. Compost pile
  1. Upgrade old appliances to more energy-efficient ones
  1. Double glazing
  1. Paint with low VOC paint
  1. Smart lighting
  1. Smart thermostat
  1. Low flow toilet
  1. Solar panels
  1. Biodiverse garden
  1. Triple glazing
  1. Electric car charging point
  1. Underfloor heating
  1. Heat pump
  1. Wind turbine
  1. Green roof
  1. Solar water heating
  1. Biomass boiler

Adrienne Minster, CEO of Rated People commented: 

“At Rated People, we care about how home improvements are done and it’s great to see that sustainability is becoming even more of a consideration among tradespeople and homeowners.

Even though April’s energy price cap wasn’t increased, the price of energy is still higher than ever, so it’s no surprise that many homeowners are looking to eco-home improvements, like solar panels, to help them reduce the cost of their energy bills.

For UK tradespeople, this increasing demand opens up a huge opportunity both in how they run their businesses and the services they provide, and we expect it will continue to grow. Although there are several schemes available to homeowners to reduce the cost of installing green home improvements, if more could be done, UK tradespeople would be able to help even more people to create better, more sustainable homes for the future.”

For home improvement tips and advice and to see the 2023 edition of the Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report, visit: https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/home-improvement-trends-report