How much attention do you pay to the energy efficiency of the properties you’re letting out? According to a new poll, this is something that many tenants are now paying attention to and would even be willing to pay more for energy efficient rental properties.

UK energy supplier E.ON, in conjunction with the National Landlord Association, recently surveyed tenants and landlords and found that 75% of UK tenants regard energy efficiency as a key factor when choosing where to live. Almost half of those – 48% – also said they’d be prepared to pay a higher rent for a more efficient home.

Of those interested in energy efficient homes, 60% were in the 25 to 34 year old age group and two thirds (66%) had higher budgets and were looking for properties at the top end of the market.

However, despite this interest in paying more for energy efficient rental properties, 43% of respondents said that they didn’t feel their landlord cared about this issue and didn’t seem to want to spend money on improving energy efficiency.

With energy efficiency clearly becoming a new selling point for rental properties, there’s scope for landlords to get more savvy and include this in their marketing. It doesn’t have to mean lots of extra expense – you can start with simple measures, such as using energy saving light bulbs and putting in extra insulation.

“Collectively, buildings are responsible for almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions, so home improvements benefit not only tenants, but also help all of us reduce our impact on the environment,” commented John Fawcitt, Energy Efficiency Manager at E.ON.

If you want to explore energy issues more, then E.ON have produced a new Landlord Information Pack – http://www.eonenergy.com/NR/rdonlyres/8ADF860A-EB4C-496A-8DBE-68C605793B39/0/Landlordpack_Layout1.pdf

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