As UK house prices continue to fall, money-conscious homeowners are seeking more energy-efficient technology when considering their next move.

New data has revealed having a smart meter installed is an important consideration when choosing a new home, with 53% saying it was either essential or very important.

The technology, which is available at no extra cost from energy suppliers, was also a bigger draw in a prospective new home than many others.

Less than half (48%) of Brits said solar panels were essential or very important, with even lower figures for local access to sources of renewable energy (42%), a heat pump (33%), or even an electric vehicle charger (30%).

But the financial benefit wasn’t the only motivator with nine in 10 (88%) of the 2000 people surveyed saying they would change their daily routines if it helped the country use less fossil fuels.

Savvy households are also thinking long-term, with 55% of Brits willing to invest at least £250 upfront to make their home more energy-efficient in the future, and over seven in 10 (72%) willing to make some investment.

As the wintry weather sets in and bills continue to rise, attitudes are changing across Britain with 88% of people more conscious about their energy usage and efficiency now than they were 10 years ago.

Nearly half of British householders without a smart meter (44%) claim being able to see how much power they are using in near real-time could help them become more energy efficient, with a further 56% adding that knowing when energy is cheapest could help them.

The survey comes after a panel of experts teamed up to predict how future innovations in our energy system could help bring exciting tech and cost-saving efficiencies to British homes.

Insight from the panel, which included former Tomorrow’s World presenter Maggie Philbin, University of Oxford researcher Dr Tina Fawcett, futurist Tom Cheesewright, Smart Energy GB’s Victoria Bacon, and energy analyst Kate Mulvaney, was used to create an interactive 3D model of what the houses of 2035 and 2070 may look like.

Smart Energy GB’s Victoria Bacon said: “The tools to help households better manage their energy use are clearly becoming increasingly important to people when looking to move.

“Smart meters are available at no extra cost from energy suppliers, but many people are willing to go the extra mile and invest in making their homes more energy efficient.

“Making these changes will help improve and upgrade Britain’s energy system, which has evolved a huge amount over the years – smart meters can help us take the next step in that evolution.”

You can see the smart home of the future by going to futurehouse.smartenergygb.org