Our key takeaways from Futurebuild 2023

The Energy Technology List at Futurebuild 2023: what we learned

Thank you to everyone who could connect with us in London at the sustainable construction exhibition, Futurebuild 2023.  

The exciting exhibition was packed with innovations and great networking opportunities. We witnessed some major highlights, from Prefab walls that mean houses can be built in less than a week, to children under-8 designing sustainable habitats. It truly was an exhibition that crossed generations – with a sustainable future firmly in mind. 

For three days, we enjoyed the opportunity to see the latest exciting innovations within the industry and talked the future of Net Zero, energy efficiency and, of course, the benefits of the Energy Technology List. 

ICF were there to meet visitors, chat with business owners, and spread the word of the ETL. Let’s hear from Tom and Zara.  

Tom, what were some of the challenges you heard from visitors to the ETL stand?  

“Navigating the complexity and difficulty for manufacturers and sellers to make performance claims was a common challenge, plus how to discern which products are better performing than others from an energy perspective.  

Visitors were also wondering how to offset or mitigate the risk of recent enforcement of ‘green claims’ in the marketplace. Retailers see the risk in passing on green claims made by manufacturers and are looking at schemes such as ETL to help with their mitigation.  

The ETL has already done the hard work of discerning the most efficient products, and the efficiency claims have been independently tested and verified.” 

And Zara, you had some interesting questions from visitors who were on a fact-finding mission. 

“That’s right. Some visitors were unsure how the ETL works and what it’s for, even wondering about the type of energy efficient products the ETL listed. It felt good to inform them that the ETL is a Government-backed scheme featuring over 8,000 independently verified and accredited energy efficient products designed to save businesses energy and money.   

Some visitors wanted to understand the Government involvement in the ETL and they didn’t know who we were. We were proud to introduce ourselves as subject matter experts from ICF who run the ETL scheme on behalf of the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero. I think that helped build some trust in our expertise.  

Also, large-scale businesses were particularly interested in the ETL’s API, especially in the speed and ease of sourcing verified and accredited products for their own procurement needs. The API is also a great tool for clients – quick access to a pre-populated list can be a good solution!”  

Tom, what was the feeling you got from visitors to the ETL stand? 

“You could feel that people understood the opportunity the ETL represents – with product’s efficiency claims being stringently tested, and it being impartial and free to use.  

It felt good to educate those who hadn’t heard of the ETL before. Not only did they find the idea of it useful, but there were also some very keen purchasers and manufactures ready to start using it!”  

And Zara, what were people curious about when they approached the stand? 

“People were drawn to the department’s new name and logo, so we didn’t have to work hard to attract attention.  

They inquired about the ETL and the Government’s role. The ETL has been in place since 2001, and that really resonated with visitors to the stand – that it remains as relevant in today’s climate as it did when it started.  

Listed products on the ETL also align with Government policies, including supporting businesses’ journeys to Net Zero. And with an open and transparent process for research and creation of criteria, the ETL really is impartial. Those were the take-home messages for many people we spoke with.”  

Thank you both! 

And there you have it, a round-up of Futurebuild 2023 from our colleagues who were at the stand.  

Remember, the ETL is wider reaching than you may think, with a huge range and volume of products that you are able to compare by energy efficiency. It’s free to use, impartial and aligned with Net Zero goals. Plus, with access to the list via API, businesses have more reasons than ever to start using the ETL today.  

Purchasers can browse the ETL here, and manufacturers can gain independent verification by registering today. 

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