Almost half (48%) of Brits say life in lockdowns over the last year has made them more conscious about how sustainable their home is, with over a third (38%) admitting they will take the learnings from this past year into life after lockdowns, according to new findings from E.ON1.

E.ON has conducted the new survey as we reach the one-year milestone since the first national lockdown in March 2020. When asked about why Brits want to be more sustainable almost half (48%) say they now care more about the environment, while four in ten (44%) admit it’s because they have more time to think about being sustainable.

Interestingly, almost one in five (16%) say they are more conscious about sustainability in the home as they believe it could increase the value of their property, and almost a quarter (23%) say they feel pressure to be sustainable, while another 17% say it’s because their friends and family care about the issue.

Michael Lewis, E.ON UK CEO, said: “If there are any upsides to the past year’s lockdowns, our findings show that many people now have a better understanding of how we can all be more energy efficient and what we can do to reduce our impact on the planet – especially as our homes are now one of the biggest contributors to climate change. For many, the first step could be switching to 100% renewable electricity2, which E.ON customers get as standard, and from there exploring a range of smarter, more sustainable home solutions including solar and battery technology and smart meters, all of which can help reduce energy use while many people continue to spend more time at home.”

The findings also show that almost one third (31%) say living a sustainable life has become like second nature to them. The following top 10 habits are now incorporated into people’s lives – despite not living like this pre-lockdown:

Shopping locally (36%)
Cooking more at home (33%)
Minimising food waste (31%)
Recycling more (31%)
Waiting for a full load of washing before using the washing machine (29%)
Turning off switches when not plugged in (26%)
Turning off appliances that aren’t in use (24%)
Buying locally sourced produce (24%)
Only heating rooms that are in use (18%)
Growing fruit and vegetables at home (14%)

E.ON’s findings also bring to light that the living room (44%) and kitchen (47%) are the rooms which have seen the most sustainable improvements, with Brits draught proofing (12%), using energy efficient light bulbs (29%) and switching the TV off at the mains (72%).

A year after the first lockdown, 48% of people say that spending so much time in their home has helped them understand how to run their home more efficiently. And almost a third (31%) have either installed or considered installing a smart meter in a bid to take further action in making their home more sustainable.

Making sustainable lifestyle changes aren’t the only home improvements which Brits have been making, as almost a quarter (23%) say they have taken it upon themselves to redecorate a room, 43% have had a clear out and 6% have even attempted to retile their bathroom.