SELFBUILDER SURVEY: BUILDING A LOW CARBON HOME How important are the following product categories for your build when it comes to low carbon specifi cation?


CONCLUSION P


robably the most tangible result of building a low carbon home is a much lower energy bill; 3% of our survey respondents even believed that their build would even be costing ‘less than zero’ to run. Only 20% thought that following their build, their annual energy bills would be between £1000 and £1500, and 28% thought that they would be able to get down to between zero and £499. This can offset the fact that low carbon builds tend to cost more than a standard home; 68% of readers surveyed said build costs were proving higher than expected. Our respondents found many positives in their green builds, including “Future proofi ng against rising energy costs,” providing a “warm, draught free home,” achieving “less reliance on the grid and lower pollutants. They were also keen to “show others it can be done,” aided by enthusiastic specialists, and thereby “changing people’s perceptions on sustainable building.” We hope that as well as highlighting the problems and diffi culties inherent to high-performance homes, particularly a lack of central incentives and industry engagement, this piece of research has helped to show the way forward. There is little argument against trying to build for low


carbon, and the cost of not doing so could be far greater. Self-builders are in a particularly strong position to make a big difference.


For a free download of the full version of this Selfbuilder Survey, please visit www.sbhonline.co.uk


SURVEY SPONSORS


We are grateful to our fi ve survey sponsors for their participation in this Selfbuilder Survey report:


Epic Insulation Marley


Mitsubishi Electric Samsung West Fraser


PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH


32 www.sbhonline.co.uk


may/june 2022


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