Where to start with retrofitting your home

15/06/2022

Written by Vic Wakefield-Jarrett, Senior Project Worker at CSE 

Among the work we do at the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) to tackle the climate emergency and end the suffering caused by cold homes, a significant strand is around domestic retrofit - providing support to help people, communities and local authorities upgrade older homes. 

In the UK we are facing two big problems, rising energy prices and the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions if we’re to reach net-zero by 2050. People are increasingly worried about how they can reduce energy use in their homes to not only save money but take action in the fight against climate change. Retrofit is the best solution to both these issues.

Retrofit includes everything from insulation to solar panels and installing heat pumps instead of gas boilers.

What we've come to understand is that there are hundreds of thousands of homeowners out there who are keen to improve their home but not sure on the where to focus their efforts - or their investment.

Solid wall or floor insulation? Switching to heat pump? Solar PV, perhaps connected to a domestic battery? Or solar hot water? There are so many ways that homes are being successfully retrofitted with energy-saving kit, but it's difficult to know what's right for yours. Because every home is unique. 

Over Community Energy Fortnight in June, we're running three free webinars to support people thinking of taking on a domestic retrofit project but who aren’t sure where to start. We'll be exploring what measures to install and what financial assistance is available. 

Personal stories

Each 90-minute webinar focusses on a different type of home, so attendees can find the one that suits them best. And they feature homeowners who will share their experiences retrofitting their home, showing the kit they installed in the homes themselves too.

Experts from CSE’s Futureproof home retrofit team will be on hand, and there'll be lots of time for questions. 

Please see the CEF webpage here for details on how to book onto the webinars.