People living in energy-inefficient homes could pay an extra £299 on bills this year

A survey of 3,000 adults found younger generations are the most likely to be aware of their home’s efficiency and planning energy efficiency improvements | Shutterstock

Economics consultancy Cebr, working with B&Q and Screwfix owner Kingfisher, studied the energy performance of properties with an EPC rating below C.

Older generations are hardest hit, with 60 per cent of over 65s living in inefficient homes – amounting to an extra £256 in annualised energy bills compared to under 30s at current prices.

The study also revealed over 65s are spending the highest proportion of their money on energy bills of any group.

Meanwhile, a survey of 3,000 adults found younger generations are the most likely to be aware of their home’s efficiency and planning energy efficiency improvements.

And 83 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds are looking to invest in efficiency upgrades in the next five years.

Thierry Garnier, Kingfisher CEO, said: “Too many UK households are still paying higher bills due to energy-inefficient homes, especially those who can least afford it.

“Yet the vast majority of people aren't aware of their home’s inefficiency, or the extra bills they're incurring.

“While our research highlights how upfront costs can be a barrier to action, there are plenty of low-cost DIY improvements that can lead to significant savings, and it’s promising to see younger generations eager to make upgrades.”

‘Vast majority aren’t aware of their home’s inefficiency’

Among the most popular planned measures for young adults are lower cost improvement measures including smart electricity or gas meters (61 per cent), smart thermostats (58 per cent) and temperature control valves on radiators (53 per cent).

However, younger generations are much less willing to compromise their lifestyle or change behaviours to save energy.

More than half (52 per cent) of 18–34-year-olds would rather pay more on energy bills to live comfortably, while nearly half (45 per cent) turn on the heating ‘whenever they fancy’, according to the OnePoll.com figures.

The biggest barrier to improving energy efficiency for all adults polled is upfront costs, with 40 per cent saying they are too high and 20 per cent concerned that the payback period is too long.

There are high levels of concern across all age groups about energy bills this winter as 71 per cent of Brits say they are worried, and 77 per cent have become more conscious of saving energy as a result.

Thierry Garnier added: “The Government’s goal to boost efficiency in five million homes by 2030 is a strong start.

“While there is no silver bullet, we believe three key policies would accelerate this effort.

“First, a focused initiative by winter 2025 to insulate the over five million uninsulated lofts across the UK.

“Longer term, we must empower and incentivise consumers with improved grants for low-income households and easy, consumer-focused solutions for those who are more able to pay.

“Finally, robust support for trade careers is critical to building a skilled workforce capable of delivering technical upgrades at scale."