Two thirds of the UK already making green home improvements

A survey conducted for the Co-operative bank found that in 2007 more than two thirds of Brits made improvements at home to decrease their carbon footprint. The research also found that UK citizens are also planning to spend a huge £13 billion on further green improvements.

The most popular change of the year was recycling household waste - 66% of those polled made this change. Other popular eco-changes included using energy saving light bulbs, and switching off the stand-by on electrical devices.

Additionally, 10% of respondents said that they want to install a rainwater capture system, whilst 7% are considering solar panels.

The proportion of people making green improvements is at similar levels across the country. The award for greenest region goes to Wales - 75% of the Welsh have made their homes more eco-friendly over the past year. Northern Ireland and the South West are the least green - but still saw 65% of people greening up their home.

“This research clearly shows that people are really starting to sit up and take notice of green issues in relation to their homes,” said John Barker, head of mortgages at the Co-operative BAnk.

He added, “Houses are one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the UK and taking steps to improve the environmental impact of homes is something that we strongly believe should be encouraged.”