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Consumer champion launches free tool connecting households with bespoke advice and verified tradespeople who can carry out green home improvements
Which? has today launched a free home energy planning service designed to arm UK households with the knowledge they need to cut energy costs, adopt clean technologies such as heat pumps and solar panels, and improve the efficiency of their home.
Powered by tech start up Snugg, the consumer champion's Home Energy Planning Service seeks to deliver bespoke guidance by providing independent advice, information on ways to pay for green home improvements, and connections with Which? endorsed tradespeople.
Platform users enter their postcode to receive recommendations tailored to their property data along with estimates of potential energy bill savings, available grants, and options for trusted local installers.
Currently responsible for 20 per cent of the UK's CO2 emissions, residential homes must undergo significant improvements to enhance energy efficiency and reduce emissions as the UK works towards a 2050 net zero target. Yet according to Which?, green home improvements are often a confusing process for households defined by uncertainties over where to start, who to trust, and how to budget for upgrades.
"We recognise that navigating the world of home energy efficiency can be daunting," said Emily Seymour, Which? energy editor. "This service is a game-changer, offering a free, reliable, and personalised tool that empowers people to make informed decisions, reduce their energy bills and contribute to a greener future."
The government is also facing fresh calls to fast-track the rollout of clean technologies, heat pumps and home insulation, after energy regulator Ofgem confirmed last month that energy bills will rise on average by 10 per cent this winter.
Climate and energy experts warned the increase is set to plunge more households across the country into fuel poverty and offered a stark reminder of how the UK's leaky homes and reliance on gas for home heating are hurting energy consumers.
"Getting the UK to net zero is a huge challenge," added Robin Peters, CEO at Snugg. "But as 20 per cent of carbon emissions come from our homes, we're faced with an equally huge opportunity. We're excited to partner with Which? to enhance their home energy offering and address this opportunity.
"With just a few clicks, thousands of people will be able to identify and implement suitable home energy efficiency improvements that will have a lasting impact on their homes and the environment."
The announcement of Which?'s new tool comes as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities prepares to publish details of a consultation on new Future Homes and Future Buildings Standards which are designed to ensure all newly built homes are "net zero ready" from next year. Ministers are also readying a Warm Homes Plan, which will be designed to enable the upgrade of five million homes.
The launch of the tool also comes after Which? last week shared a set of principles for reform of the Energy Performance Certificate regime.
Suggestions set out in Transforming EPCs: Consumer Research Insights and Recommendations include making EPCs more accessible by using everyday language and graphics, creating more useful and relevant content by consulting consumers and making information more tailored to their homes, integrating EPCs with other sources of reliable information and advice, and make ratings more accurate by improving assessments and reducing the validity period.
In related news, research published today by home energy efficiency service provider City Energy Network (CEN) has suggested some UK regions are lagging behind others in their delivery of home energy efficiency improvements.
The study claimed that 135 in every 1,000 homes in the north west of England has received some sort of energy efficiency upgrade under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) grant scheme compared to 131 per 1,000 in Scotland and in 128 in the north east. By contrast, the installation rate stands at just 58 per 1,000 in the south east, 63 per 1,000 in the east of England, and 96 per 1,000 in Wales.
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