Make UK Modular’s new report ‘Green Shoots: The Future of UK Housebuilding’ — written in partnership with Octopus Energy — highlighted the public backing for greener, more energy-efficient homes.

The survey showed that 60% of renters and buyers view environmental performance of a new home as ‘important’, with half saying they’d pay more upfront for a more environmentally friendly property, and nearly 80% willing to pay more for a home with lower energy bills.

According to the report, those under 30 see greener homes as being of greatest importance.

The research continues to highlight modular housebuilders’ calls for a green housing revolution to tackle both the housing and climate crises. 

The public perception of modular homes as being part of the solution is positive, with more than 25% citing them as environmentally friendly, nearly 30% as being efficient, and over 35% as modern.

•   Hilltop launches real estate funding and management platform
•   Manchester to get over £3m to transform brownfield land into homes
•   Sadiq Khan and London housebuilders unveil plan to boost housing supply

The case for these types of homes is strong too, with modular manufacturers able to build greener homes at a competitive price — of which many fall into the top energy performance band — saving the average family up to £1,000 a year on its energy bills.

Daniel Paterson, director of government affairs at Make UK Modular, commented: “We are on the cusp of a green housing revolution.

“This report clearly shows wide public demand for modular building methods that reduce the costs to the environment and to household budgets.

“We now need to see action on the part of government to allow for these greener homes that not only help reduce the carbon cost of construction but help the household pocket too.

“Government can help today — at zero cost to the treasury — by introducing demand-side reforms of stamp duty rates, reforming the Affordable Homes

Programme allocation for modular builders, and using unspent pledged funding to help improve supply chains.”

Carl Leaver, chair at Make Modular and Tophat, added: “We are falling woefully short of building the houses that the country needs and, all too often, the houses that are being built are damaging our environment.

“This report makes clear that volumetric modular is critical to responding to both of these immense challenges, and we are calling on the government to act as a catalyst to businesses which can build the homes we need.”