The generation currently battling to become first-time buyers is already familiar with the concept of carbon footprints, and property experts believe the environmental credentials of a house will become an increasingly important part of its value to buyers.

The government hopes that the introduction of Home Information Packs (Hips) will also provide a step in the right direction. A decade in the making, and unpopular with many in the industry, Hips now focus mainly on how much energy a house wastes.