The role of housebuilders and councils in using renewables

Following on from our latest blog post, which explored the fact that more than half of respondents in our recent survey felt the government should take more responsibility for adopting renewables, we’re also looking at the role of housebuilders and local councils.

Housebuilders and developers certainly have a role to play, with 44% of respondents believing they should be driving the use of renewables. The homes being built now will still be standing in 50 to 100 years, so developers have a responsibility to build sustainable homes for the future.

Most housebuilders know that over time, sustainability will become more of a buying decision. As well as looking at how nice the kitchen is, how many bedrooms it has or where it is, future buyers will look at how energy efficient the building is, and the impact it’ll have on their energy bills.

Interestingly, only 28% of respondents believed local councils are responsible for driving the use of renewables. However, regional authorities could hold more responsibility than consumers think.

County and city councils actually have a significant amount of influence over local planning permissions and requirements. Local authorities often have extensive estates, including offices and commercial buildings, so they can of course choose to incorporate a range of sustainable technologies into those premises.

Crucially, they also have the power to put local planning policies in place whereby any new buildings must get a certain amount of their energy from renewables – whether it’s solar PV or other technologies – so they play a critical role in the use of alternative energy.

Keep checking back on our blog for more insights on climate change attitudes and opinions, or download the full research paper here.