Frequently Asked Questions

You could go directly to installers of energy efficiency measures however they may not understand the interaction between measures or have a whole house holistic view. Having a retrofit assessment and plan drawn up by someone independent of suppliers can be a useful way of getting unbiased advice. We are not here to sell a particular product or approach. Instead, we use evidence and research to provide advice about what is best for your home. We're here to help you achieve your goals and are independent of suppliers.

The UK has some of the oldest housing stock, with around 8 million homes built prior to 1930. These properties have solid walls and generally low or no insulation. These houses can be retrofitted, but need particular approaches and specialist knowledge to ensure unintentional problems are not introduced. Our practitioners have the additional qualification Retrofit in Older and Traditional Buildings. Sensitive retrofit of older buildings can offer fantastic gains in performance, however these buildings tend to be more expensive to retrofit due to particular products being needed.

We are insured to carry out retrofit services and have professional indemnity and public liability insurance up to £1.5m. We are accredited through Elmhurst Energy. All of our Retrofit Coordinators are qualified at least to Level 5 Retrofit Coordinator and Risk Management;  Retrofit Assessors to Level 3 Retrofit Assessment. Where we use surveyors for condition and building defect reports, they are accredited by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

No. The general principle when retrofitting is "fabric first", meaning that, in general,  upgrades to insulation and air tightness will offer greater financial and carbon reduction gains than changing to a heat pump. As the national grid becomes more renewable (i.e. less reliant on fossil fuels for energy generation) heat pumps can offer impressive levels of carbon reduction. Generally, heat pumps work most efficiently in buildings which are well insulated and air tight. If you have a working gas boiler, insulating your home will be more fruitful than replacing it in cost terms. If your goal is to reduce emissions, you may form a different view. Our retrofit plans will explain this in more detail.

Retrofitting needs to be tailored to each building. Poor sequencing of measures, inappropriate measures or a lack of an holistic approach can lead to building defects. Retrofitting, when done properly and when problems are anticipated and managed, does not cause problems. 

Retrofit services provided by us are dependent on property size and the level of service requested. Typically, a retrofit assessment may cost £150-£400 and a retrofit plan may cost £300-£700 to produce. Retrofit project management services are available from £40 per hour. 

Please see our funding page for more information 

Property condition has a big impact on energy efficiency and the fabric of the building needs to be in good order before work can commence. Damp, for example, has a big impact on energy use. Damp areas are harder to heat, requiring more energy to maintain a comfortable temperature. Damp can damage or reduce the effects of insulation, leading to increased heat loss and higher energy consumption. It can also promote mould growth, which can further degrade insulation and air quality, making heating systems work harder to achieve the same effect. Older properties, and properties in poor condition, will generally have higher rates of air leakage and heat loss. Ensuring the envelope of the building is in good order will help to reduce energy use. 

Retrofit can be coincided with other work to your property, and, depending on the measures, can be introduced alongside renovation work such as a new kitchen or redecoration. These periods of planned refurbishment are a good opportunity to start thinking about energy efficiency. For others, a boiler breaking down and a desire to move to a renewable space and water heating source might be the trigger. A house move is often another reason people choose to improve their home's fabric. Discussions with builders and architects about an extension may also prompt you to think about upgrading the rest of your home. 

We are able to support you to consider your long term goals and draw up a thirty year plan of incremental improvements. You can then tackle these as events and budgets allow.