New research from the find-a-tradesperson platform, Rated People reveals how UK tradespeople are adapting their businesses this year to be more environmentally friendly.

The study comes as homeowner demand for ‘eco-home improvements’ like roof insulation, electric car charging points, and heat pumps goes through the roof.

Rated People analysed more than 800,000 home improvement jobs posted by UK homeowners on its platform and spoke to over 600 tradespeople and 2,000 homeowners to conduct the study.

It shows that almost two in three tradespeople (63%) will be making eco changes to their businesses and work in 2022, and 70% are planning to extend their skillset this year to take on more eco jobs.

Four in five (81%) tradespeople think eco-home improvements will be even more popular this year for homeowners and 43% of UK homeowners also said they would now be more likely to choose a tradesperson if they were environmentally friendly.

Rising homeowner demand and increasing cost of living

The research also reveals homeowner demand for eco-home improvements has accelerated at an incredible pace as the cost of living soars.

Almost half of UK homeowners (45%) want to make eco improvements to their homes this year to reduce their impact on the planet, which is up from 35% last year, and alongside living more sustainably, many homeowners also say cost savings are a big motivating factor for getting the work done. 

More than half of UK homeowners (52%) say they want to make eco upgrades this year to save money on bills, and one in three (36%) say they want to make eco upgrades to their home to make long-term financial savings.

When looking at the volume of jobs posted by homeowners looking for tradespeople on Rated People, homeowner demand for roof insulation increased by an impressive 419% in 2021 when compared to the year before.

At-home electric car charging points saw demand increase by 404%, and considering last year saw the biggest annual increase in the number of electric car registrations in the UK*, it’s easy to see why. Requests for tradespeople to work on cavity wall insulation jobs went up by 352% and heat pumps saw demand rise by 312%.

Where demand is increasing the most in the UK

Aberdeen saw the biggest rise in demand for eco-home improvement jobs in 2021, with 178% more eco jobs posted on Rated People, when compared to the year before.

Bournemouth, Llandudno, Kirkaldy and Ipswich make up the rest of the top five – all of which have seen homeowner demand for eco home improvements increase by a minimum of 140% in just one year.

Adrienne Minster, chief executive officer of Rated People, comments: “Awareness around the importance of living more sustainably has never been higher, and it’s brilliant to see how tradespeople are looking to reduce their impact on the planet by running their businesses in a more environmentally friendly way.”

“With rising homeowner demand for eco improvements, there is so much opportunity throughout 2022 for tradespeople to grow their businesses and help homeowners with their work.”

She adds: “Our homes have so much potential to help the planet – whether that’s improving insulation to prevent energy loss, or installing solar panels and wind turbines to create green energy. We look forward to seeing the incredible work that our tradespeople and homeowners complete across the UK this year!”

To see the research and the full 2022 Home Improvement Trends Report, click here.