Just under half (46%) of potential buyers would rather have good insulation over a bigger garden (29%), according to new research from the Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB).

The research reveals that a fifth of Brits (19%) wouldn’t consider a house with an energy performance certificate (EPC) of below grade C.

Potential buyers looking to reduce energy bills was the key reason many would only consider a higher EPC-rated house. 

The latest data shows that 84% of people surveyed said they deem it important to make their home energy efficient, and 71% said they would like to make changes to their homes to help reduce bills.

However, almost half (45%) of people say it is simply too much of an upfront cost to realistically upgrade their property, even though two-fifths (41%) think that doing so would make their property more valuable in the future.

For those looking to improve their home’s energy efficiency, the majority said that the most common changes include installing energy-efficient bulbs (33%), adding a smart meter and installing loft/wall insulation (23%), while a fifth didn’t know what changes could help improve a home’s energy efficiency. 

Mortgage Advice Bureau head of lending Brian Murphy warns that more need to become aware of their EPC rating to take advantage or know what to change.

“Our research found that two-thirds (60%) of homeowners didn’t know what their EPC rating was when asked. This is something that is important and can easily be rectified. Knowing your EPC rating isn’t only worthwhile when considering selling or buying, it’s also good to know so that you can plan upgrades to your home accordingly.”

Murphy adds: “What many might not know is that in buying a higher rated property, you could also become eligible for a green mortgage, a specialist mortgage for someone with an environmentally friendly home. This means that not only will you get a discount on energy bills, you could also lock in a cheaper mortgage rate.”