Research from Deceuninck shows that the availability of finance is key in driving sales of energy efficient home improvement products.

Despite easing inflation, newly-released research from Deceuninck found that almost a third of homeowners have delayed home improvement spend due to concerns over the cost of living; a concept which is at odds with the need to improve energy efficiency in many homes.

“Utility bills remain high,” says Darren Woodcock, general manager, Deceuninck UK. “Upgrading your property, with energy efficient windows and doors for example, has the potential to bring those bills down significantly.

“Investing in these measures could save homeowners thousands of pounds over the years, but times are still tough for many households, and there isn’t always the cash available to pay for these things up-front,” he adds.

According to the research, carried out by YouGov on Decuninck’s behalf, the availability of finance is a key driver for sales of energy efficient home improvements. This is particularly significant amongst under-35s, where around 40% of homeowners in this age group stated that they would be more likely to invest with access to a low-interest finance package.

“Low-interest finance options, perhaps offering payment via monthly instalments, make the purchase of big-ticket items much more manageable,” says Darren. “This is particularly significant for younger people, who may be lower earners, and have less time behind them to accumulate savings.”

But it’s not just the young who are tempted by finance packages. Close to one third (33%) of the 35-55 age group and 19% of over-55s said they would also be more likely to invest in energy efficient home improvements if they had access to a low-interest finance package.

In addition, around half of respondents in every age group said they would be incentivised to upgrade their home with the help of an energy efficiency grant scheme, such as the government’s Green Deal, and 25% said they would be swayed to spend if VAT on energy efficient products was cut.

Contrasting with the continual financial pressures on households, is the increasing popularity of high-end products and premium finishes. Despite the continuing cost of living crisis, close to 80% of respondents to the survey said that quality was more important than price when purchasing home improvements, and around 50% favoured foil finishes on their windows and doors.

“Both flush and ‘timber alternative’ PVC-U products, combining high performance and great aesthetics with relative affordability, are well-suited to both contemporary and period properties,” says Darren.

“Quality products such as Deceuninck’s Heritage flush sash present an ideal opportunity to increase margin, especially when combined with modern foils and finishes, so providing a means to facilitate these purchases is key to driving sales.”

Perfectly matching with Deceuninck’s Heritage 2800 system as well as its open-out flush door, the Heritage flush sash offers outstanding aesthetics, thermal efficiency and security performance.

With the majority of flush products sold with a foiled finish, Darren highlights how Deceuninck’s strong colour offer is helping to boost the volume of flush windows and doors manufactured by its partners.

“Deceuninck holds more than 30 colourways in stock, with 20 more colours available on a 15 working-day lead time,” he says. “Our foiling facilities include cutting-edge lamination technology following a multi-million-pound investment, and as a result, when it comes to colour, we’re hard to beat.

“With this in mind, it’s no surprise that our customers sell twice as much colour as their competitors, and with flush products still very much in demand, it’s a recipe for success that we can only see continuing.

“Our research shows that consumers are still interested in high-quality products and premium foil finishes, despite the financial pressures on many households. Low-interest finance options could be key in driving these purchases, when the money is not available up-front.”