More and more tenants have doubts about whether they can guarantee the energy efficiency of their rental apartments.

This is the claim made by NatWest and S&P Global. The two companies have developed a so-called Greener Homes Attitudes Tracker, which measures sentiment towards the energy efficiency of properties.

According to a survey by the financial firm, 44% of renters are less confident than before that they will be able to cover their energy costs. NatWest claims: “This is likely due to landlords’ fear of the unknown when increasing their monthly rents.”

More than half of renters in the lowest income bracket, with an annual income of less than £15,000, were less confident about being able to afford heating and other energy costs than they were a year ago.

Average electricity bills are set to fall by around 7 per cent this month, although a 10 per cent increase is expected from October 1, pushing up electricity bills this winter. However, Labour has promised to cut electricity bills by £300 per household from 2030 by investing in more clean, renewable energy.

The NatWest/S&P survey also found that 39 percent of homeowners (whether they own their home outright or are buying it with a mortgage) found saving energy “very important,” compared with 34 percent of renters. In addition, younger homeowners are more supportive of energy efficiency policy proposals than their older counterparts. 44 percent of homeowners aged 18-44 answered “very important,” compared with 34 percent of 45-64 year olds.

Lloyd Cochrane, head of mortgages at NatWest, says: “We know from our own research that making greener changes is an important part of home ownership, particularly for the younger generation. We’ve seen a real shift in people’s environmental awareness – whether it’s wanting to save on energy bills or using public transport to reduce their carbon footprint.”

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