Energy bills are biggest worry to homeowners
04/08/2014
Energy bills are the biggest worry to European homeowners, ahead of rent and mortgage repayments, a survey of 17,000 households has revealed.
The survey on attitudes to home improvement, which was conducted by DIY retail group Kingfisher, revealed that 31% of European homeowners intended to introduce measures to cut their energy bills.
This means that energy efficiency is now the biggest priority among European households, which is particularly surprising, as it was one of the lowest priorities in 2012 when only 4% of homeowners held the same attitude.
Sir Ian Cheshire, chief executive at Kingfisher said “There is a staggering increase in the number of people who intend to prioritise energy efficiency”. He also continued to claim that “soaring bills” are the main reason for the shift in attitudes.
“People want more and more from their home”
The survey also suggested that as the cost of living increases, people desire more from their home.
Sir Ian Cheshire expanded on this by saying: "These days, our homes need to be an office, an entertainment hub and a multi-generational living space."
These comments were backed up as it was also revealed that 77% of Europeans feel their home needs adapting, and 22% need to create more space. Additionally, 46% of European homeowners have, or would like, a home office.
The most desirable home features were also found to be swimming pools, as 28% of homeowners said they would like one. Other desirable features included a fireplace (26%), a conservatory (23%) and a hot tub (22%).
Those in the UK are the fifth most likely to attempt to carry out these home improvements themselves, and the most likely to purchase DIY products online.
However, whilst those living in the UK appear to be proactive in carrying out DIY home improvements, nearly a quarter of recipients claimed that they couldn’t change a light bulb.
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