Cost curbs green bids

But while environmental issues may have influenced some of them, most went greener to save money.

Seventy-one per cent admitted they had taken steps to make their homes more energy efficient because of rising energy prices.

While commendable, only 27 per cent of East Midlands householders who did make their homes greener acted just to be environmentally friendly.

The biggest obstacle to making homes in the East Midlands more energy efficient was found to be the money, with 46 per cent of regional respondents to the uSwitch.com survey citing cost as the critical issue.

East Midlanders were found to be the least likely to know where to get the information about making their homes more environmentally friendly or to know what help is available.

With energy bills having rocketed by £224 or 21 per cent in the past year, consumers are continually looking for ways to cut back and save.

However, while almost 23 million households are missing out on potential savings of up to £675 a year by not making their homes as energy efficient as possible, the research by uSwitch.com revealed that people in the East Midlands were more likely than the average Brit to have made their home completely energy efficient.

Kevin Sears, energy efficiency expert at uSwitch.com, said: “In these cash-strapped times consumers are weighing up the savings they can make by being energy efficient against the initial outlay.

“For many, the concern is whether the savings will outstrip the cost.

“But with winter approaching, and energy bills having rocketed, it’s more important than ever that consumers are able to cut back on the amount of energy they use by being more energy efficient.

“Importantly, there doesn’t even have to be a cost involved in making your home more energy efficient.

“Energy companies have a pot of money to help customers make their homes more energy efficient so it’s worth checking with your supplier to see if they can help.

“EDF Energy and British Gas are both offering free insulation at the moment, so see if you can get some help with cutting your bills.”