It seems the priorities of householders across the country are changing.

Research by the Energy Saving Trust reveals a third of Britons would be willing to pay more for a home where some of their energy supply came from renewable resources such as wind, solar or hydropower.

And almost half of those surveyed said they would like to know if their home is suitable for renewable energy.

The Energy Saving Trust’s website: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/renewableselector/start, allows people to find the answers to questions like this and other energy related queries.

Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said: “It seems Britons are willing to pay more for a home with a renewable energy source, so investing in a solar panel or a wind turbine could add to the resale value of a property and could be as attractive to househunters as a new kitchen or solid wood floors.”

Mr Sellwood added: “Twenty-six per cent of carbon emissions are from the home and with depleting fossil fuels, governments are looking at ways to encourage householders to install domestic renewable energy. Next year will see the introduction of feed-in tariffs – where householders will receive a set payment for the electricity generated and exported.”

The research also reveals that more than half of us feel the price of renewable energy is putting us off investing in it. However, there are grants available to help with the cost of some installations. The Energy Saving Trust can offer advice on these grants and direct householders to the right source of support.

lFor more information on using renewable energy in the home or community contact the Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512012 or go to the Energy Saving Trust website

Factfile

Solar water heating systems cost between £3,000 and £5,000 and typically save around £50 a year when replacing gas. Typical solar electricity systems (around 2kW) cost between £8,000 and £14,000 and can save around £200 a year. Investing in both together can save a household around £250 a year off bills. With the solar electricity system, any excess electricity produced can be sold back to the national grid.

Solar electricity

• A typical-sized system can provide the same amount of electricity in a year as a home uses in five months
• You don’t need planning permission for a panel to go on your roof unless you live in a conservation area
• You don’t need to have a sloping roof to have solar panels – you can lay them out on a flat roof on a frame.

Solar hot water

• A typical solar water heating system can meet around a third of your annual hot water needs
• They can be fitted with new high efficiency boilers
• As above, you don’t need planning permission for a panel or a sloping roof