With our existing homes using 35% of all the energy in the UK, and responsible for 20% of carbon dioxide emissions, the National Retrofit Strategy puts forward a plan for upgrades that are vital if we are to meet the country’s net zero targets.
Objectives of the consultation
This paper set out the case for the UK Government, working in partnership with industry, finance, and other community based bodies to introduce a national retrofit strategy to make our existing homes greener and more energy and water efficient. This is in line with the UK Government’s target to upgrade as many homes as possible to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C by 2035.
A national retrofit programme will aid recovery in the repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) sector, and provide opportunity for a joined-up approach to tackling climate change by all parts of the construction industry.
Without a plan, the existing workforce cannot deliver the ambitious programme which could transform both our building stock and the construction industry. A systematic scaling up approach is needed to meet the volume of work needed.
The consultation closed on 1 March 2021.
Supporting papers
Download the consultation document below.
- Greening Our Existing Homes: National retrofit strategy - A consultative document
- CLC Consultation page
What you can do
CIBSE is overwhelmingly supportive of the strategy, both of the very fact of having one, which is very much needed, and of its content. Points we find particularly useful and/or which we particularly support include:
- The focus on skills and competence, and developing supply chains including initial phases with monitoring and evaluation to gather lessons for the later phases;
- Putting in numbers the scale of the challenge, but also the potential benefits, and being clear about the need for an initial phase to underpin capability;
- Promoting building passports as an essential element, including building surveys and a plan for every home, all of this made easier and of better quality with the help of digitisation;
- Area-based delivery programmes, supported by a central Retrofit Delivery Agency;
- A compliance and quality regime, embedding performance standards, and making use of PAS 2030/35. This is of particular importance to protect consumers and avoid not only detrimental consequences to environmental and health outcomes, but also reputational damages and setbacks on the way to net zero.
To read the full CIBSE response follow the link below.