Sustainable home improvement trends 2026
This blog was written by our partners, the National Self Build & Renovation Centre (NSBRC), who meet thousands of visitors each year and work with 200+ exhibiting partners to support their journeys to create better sustainable homes.
We are proud to partner with Good Energy – a fellow B Corp Certified company supporting the decarbonisation of homes across the UK – who have an exhibition stand of their own in the NSRBC trade village, as well as being headline sponsors of our Renovation House educational exhibit and the upcoming National Self Build & Renovation Show on Friday 30th January – Sunday 1st February 2026 at the NSBRC. Free advance tickets are available now!
Through our relationships with self builders and renovators alike, and our annual consumer survey, we’re able to keep our fingers on the pulse of trends and shifting behaviours. Below, we explore the top sustainable home improvement trends expected to define 2026.
Shifting motivations and increased retrofit demand
Homeowners are becoming more informed and more discerning. Energy efficiency and cheaper running costs scored above 90% as motivations for our visitors, highlighting a shift towards whole-house thinking even for those not building from scratch. Higher insulation levels (92%), air tightness (74%), and triple glazing (73%) were among the most commonly budgeted items in our 2025 survey.
We’re seeing an increase in renovation projects, which now account for a third of visitor enquiries at the NSBRC. Meanwhile, self builders are showing increased interest in materials like timber frame, insulated panels, and hemp or straw-based products. Although traditional masonry remains common, over half of respondents are considering low-carbon or modern methods of construction for performance reasons.
Growth in heat pump adoption
Interest in sustainable heat sources remains extremely strong, with 82% of survey respondents budgeting for heat pumps or similar low-carbon technologies. Heat pumps are a fantastic way to move away from fossil-fuels – and grants of up to £7,500 through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) are fantastic – but effective integration is key to keeping your home comfortable and to genuinely reduce your heating bills.
Our Renovation House sponsored by Good Energy, is a fantastic resource which will help you understand renewable technology integration, and our brand new Retrofit Zone exhibit helps you understand how to plan a ‘whole home’ and ‘fabric first’ approach, to make the most of this transition. We always recommend using MCS Certified installers to ensure they are fully trained and vetted.
Smart-home integration for energy efficiency
Smart controls and home automation were selected by 33% of respondents planning sustainable upgrades. Smart thermostats, zoned heating, demand-response features, and in-home energy monitoring are becoming central to efficient, low-carbon living – especially when paired with solar PV, batteries, and EV charging. This will only become more relevant with the evolution of AI-driven whole-home energy modelling.
Right now, you can take advantage of a new scheme from Tesla offering £750 back when you install a Powerwall 3 – one of the leading batteries on the market. Find out more here.
The rise of Electric Vehicles
An incredible 75% of our survey responses told us they were budgeting for EV charging points as part of their project. Installing EV charging points is now mandatory for all new homes. It remains to be seen if this trajectory will be curbed by the introduction of new mileage-based tax from 2028.
Under the plan, fully electric cars will be charged 3p per mile. For a “typical” driver doing around 8,500 miles a year, that works out to about £255 per year – roughly half the per-mile running tax cost for an equivalent petrol or diesel car.
Good Energy have one of the cheapest EV tariffs on the market, offering cheap overnight charging backed by 100% renewable sources. From just 2p per mile*, you can learn more, check your rates, and switch here.
Planning Permission: Unblocking the bottleneck
Year-on-year, our survey shows that planning is the largest hurdle, so the planning reform measures outlined in the Government’s budget announcement (November 2025), are one of the clearest benefits for home-improvers.
Whilst it remains to be seen whether this is significant enough, the reforms are expected to speed up the planning system.
Government schemes on the horizon
In 2026, we anticipate greater clarity around The Future Homes Standard for new build homes, and a £13.2 billion Government investment the new Warm Homes Plan, for existing homes.
The direction is unmistakable: homes will need to be more energy efficient, and fabric-first principles will become standard. The self build market remains head and shoulders above the quality produced by quality developers, and it’s crucial that homeowners seek out professionals with the necessary understanding to get this right.
Consumer Insights
The majority of self builders and renovators who come through our doors are aged 55–74, and are often motivated by long-term comfort and reduced running costs for their forever home. A growing number of retrofit visitors come from urban and semi-urban regions, where energy bills and draughty housing stock are a major concern.
2025 survey responses show strong focus on:
- Building a home to suit your preferences
- Lower energy bills and greater control over energy use
- Sustainability and reduced carbon impact
- Comfort and indoor air quality
Key concerns or barriers include:
- Planning permission and associated delays
- Installation and upfront costs
- Finding trusted installers
- Lack of knowledge and confidence navigating upgrades
- Perceived disruption during retrofit projects
Case studies from NSBRC visitors
1. Bungalow Renovation
Extending and transforming a damp, mouldy, and chilly 1960s bungalow, to create a stylish modern space and achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of A. Read more.
2. Breathtaking five-bedroom timber frame home
An outstanding demonstration of an eco-friendly property that exceeds energy efficiency standards while remaining uniquely designed to the self-builder’s specific needs. Read more.
3. Victorian terrace extension and eco renovation
Achieving Passivhaus EnerPHit certification through multiple retrofitting methods, blending modern sustainability with traditional townscape character. Read more.
The NSBRC is the UK’s only permanent venue for independent homebuilding advice & support, and is located at junction 16 of the M4 at Swindon.
You can find out more about all of these topics and more, by visiting the National Self Build & Renovation Centre for free. Join one of our upcoming events including seminars, guided tours and expert 1-1s – or just drop in at your own leisure, to explore our educational exhibits, engage with over 200 exhibitor displays in our Trade Village and chat with technical experts on our helpdesk.
*Based on charging a 65kW EV battery for 7.5 hours @6.6p/kWh with an estimated range of 225 miles. A five-hour charge will cost £2.44, and a full charge from £4.29 and 1.9p per mile. Off-peak period is five hours per day only, from 12am-5am, meaning for a full charge you’d have to complete the charge across two off-peak periods. The cost of charging the same car for 7.5 consecutive hours would be around £10.
What makes this a greener charge? Charging your EV with Good Energy is greener than charging with the UK’s standard electricity fuel mix because we match every unit of electricity you use with 100% renewable power from our community of over 3,000 UK generators. Our tariffs are independently verified for their renewable sourcing – so you can be sure your charge makes a positive difference. Learn more at goodenergy.co.uk/what-makes-good-energy-different
