Landlords have listed LED lighting, double glazing and smart meters as the go-to upgrades to improve the energy efficiency of buy-to-let (BTL) properties.
Market Financial Solutions (MFS) surveyed 459 UK landlords, and found that 56% said the sustainability of their properties was important to them, regardless of upcoming changes to regulations around Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).
Two-fifths (42%) of landlords had made the change to LED lighting, with 62% among them agreeing that it had worked as an improvement.
Among those who had not made this change, 73% planned to do so in the next 12 months.
Other popular changes landlords had implemented included double or triple glazing (39%), using smart meters (38%), wall or loft insulation (34%), and installing energy-efficient kitchen appliances (29%).
Only 18% had replaced the boilers at their properties with carbon neutral heat pumps, and 44% of those who had, reported that it did not make a notable improvement to energy efficiency.
Among those planning to make changes in the next 12 months, installing insulation (70%), double or triple glazing (68%), and installing a smart meter (67%) were among the most popular.
The least popular future changes were heat pumps (37%), geothermal heating (34%), and solar panels (38%).
Paresh Raja, CEO of MFS, said: “Sustainability and energy efficiency have become increasingly important in recent years as the climate and energy crises worsen. As such, it’s encouraging that our research shows so many landlords have already boosted their properties’ energy efficiency credentials, while plenty more have plans to improve the sustainability of their homes in the future.
“Clearly, upgrades such as replacing old lightbulbs with LEDs can be relatively affordable. However, in the current economic climate, making more substantial improvements – such as investing in double glazing or installing loft insulation – may be financially out of reach for some landlords. So, by working with brokers, lenders must be on hand to provide flexible financial products that will help landlords make the changes their properties need.”
