More than eight in ten buyers say energy efficiency matters when choosing a home. Just 2% would actually pay more for it. That tension sits at the heart of new research from LRG, and it carries a clear message for sellers across Norfolk and Suffolk: green credentials alone won’t command a premium, but poor efficiency will cost you at the negotiating table.
LRG’s Sales Report Summer 2026 surveyed more than 700 buyers and sellers. The headline finding is stark. While 85% of buyers ranked energy efficiency as important in their decision, willingness to pay for it was far weaker.
Only 2% said they’d pay significantly more for a more efficient property. A further 26% would stretch to paying a little more. The single largest group, 37%, wouldn’t pay anything extra at all.
The most revealing figure sits in the middle. Some 36% of buyers said they’d pay more only if the higher purchase price was offset by lower running costs over time. They’re not buying a green badge. They’re doing the maths.
Neil Louth, Group Executive Director of LRG and Chief Executive of The Acorn Group, said the shift has been decisive. “Buyers have become far more informed, and this research shows exactly how they’re making decisions.”
He pointed to a fundamental change in how properties are evaluated before viewings even take place. “They can see what a home will cost to run before they’ve even booked a viewing and, particularly in London where every pound of a household budget matters, running costs have become part of the affordability calculation from day one.”
That calculation isn’t confined to London. With the energy price cap rising again in June, homeowners everywhere are paying closer attention to gas and electricity costs. In rural Norfolk and Suffolk, where older properties and oil-fired heating are common, running costs can vary dramatically between homes of similar size and value.
The LRG research found buyers are already acting on these priorities during viewings. Asked what they wished sellers had done before listing, several highlighted the same gap: they wanted practical, ready-to-hand information about running costs.
How old is the boiler? When was it last serviced? What are the monthly energy bills? What type of heating system is installed? These aren’t abstract environmental concerns. They’re household budget questions.
“Too many sellers still assume buyers are only looking at kitchens and bathrooms,” Louth said. “Increasingly, they’re asking how much it costs to heat the property, when the boiler was replaced and what their monthly bills are likely to be. Those conversations weren’t happening five years ago. They are now.”
LRG’s findings suggest buyers are looking well beyond the Energy Performance Certificate when assessing a property’s efficiency. An EPC rating tells a buyer the theoretical performance of a building’s fabric and systems. What buyers actually want to know is simpler: what will this home cost me each month?
Louth put it directly. “This research tells us buyers aren’t paying for an EPC certificate. They’re paying for what it means to their monthly finances.”
That distinction matters for sellers in Norwich, Cromer, Holt, and across the county. A Victorian terrace with a new condensing boiler and loft insulation might perform better in practice than its EPC band suggests. A newer build with an impressive rating but electric heating could still face high monthly bills. Buyers are learning to look past the letter on the certificate.
The research points to an asymmetry that sellers need to understand. Buyers won’t pay a premium for good efficiency, but they will negotiate hard if efficiency is poor.
Louth was clear on this point. “The green premium may be a myth, but the cost of poor efficiency certainly isn’t. Sellers shouldn’t expect an energy-efficient home to command a huge premium, but equally they shouldn’t underestimate how quickly buyers will use higher running costs to negotiate.”
For a detached property in Wymondham or Attleborough, where many homes date from the 1960s and 1970s, that could mean a buyer pointing to estimated annual heating costs of £2,500 or more as grounds for a lower offer. The seller who can demonstrate recent insulation, an efficient boiler, or double glazing throughout is better positioned to hold their asking price.
The message from this research is less about installing solar panels and more about providing information. Sellers listing properties across Norfolk and Suffolk should consider having the following ready before the first viewing:
Recent energy bills or a summary of average monthly costs. The age and service history of the boiler or heating system. Details of any insulation, glazing, or efficiency improvements made in the past five years. The current EPC rating, and whether it reflects recent upgrades that may not have been captured by an older assessment.
A buyer who walks into a viewing and finds this information readily available is dealing with a prepared, transparent seller. That confidence translates into smoother negotiations and, often, a stronger final price.
The LRG data reflects a broader market shift. Energy costs aren’t a secondary consideration any more. They sit alongside mortgage affordability, commuting distance, and school catchments as one of the factors buyers weigh before making an offer.
For sellers across Norfolk’s towns and villages, from King’s Lynn to Great Yarmouth, the takeaway is practical. You won’t get more for being efficient. But you’ll get less for not being. And the buyers who walk through your door this summer will be better informed about running costs than any generation before them.
The Ivybridge Collection’s property market reports cover 324 locations across Norfolk and Suffolk, offering detailed local market data to help sellers and buyers make informed decisions in this shifting landscape.
