Speaking as part of the Green Mortgage Masterclass series, James Blessley, commercial and product director for mortgages at Barclays, said the “sustainable homes agenda is a massive agenda”.
“It’s got societal and climate change benefits. It is something we have to address from… that wider perspective, but there are real benefits to customers considering whether they can save money by electrification and also customers are thinking about [a] purchase, looking at the new-build sector,” he noted.
Electrification is the process of replacing fossil fuel technology with electric alternatives such as heat pumps to reduce emission and improve energy efficiency.
Blessley added that brokers have a “massive part to play as a really trusted adviser for their customers as they’re moving through… the home buying or remortgaging process, to make customers aware [of their options]”.
Looking at resources, he said intermediary pages offered by lenders will often have information available, and talking and feeding back to business development managers (BDMs) is also crucial. Energy companies like Octopus and firms like the Energy Savings Trust are also a good resource.
The new-build energy advantage
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Blessley said it was key that brokers “keep the feedback loop coming”, as it “really does help” lenders shape their offerings.
“It’s an important journey we’re on with the sustainable homes agenda. It’s an evolving journey, and so the more that we understand what’s working well and where areas of opportunity are, [that feedback], it will be really important,” he said.
Watch our 39:58 video talking about electrification and new build homes, hosted by Anna Sagar, deputy editor of Mortgage Solutions, and James Blessley, commercial and product director for mortgages at Barclays.
