Significance of our homes

Emissions from our homes are a significant contributor to our overall carbon footprint, as demonstrated by our recent East Hampshire Greenhouse Gas Emissions report. The UK government recognises this and is bringing in a variety of initiatives, including financial incentives, to improve the energy efficiency of our homes.

Many people want to improve their home's energy efficiency to help the environment whilst at the same time making their home a healthier and more comfortable place to live.

It is not easy to know where to start, who to trust and what support is available.

What is retrofit?

Retrofit refers to any improvement work on an existing building to improve its energy efficiency, making it easier to heat, able to retain that heat for longer, and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. Typically there are also post-retrofit benefits for the homeowner in terms of thermal comfort, improved air quality in the home and a reduction in fuel bills.

It can take several years for a retrofit to be completed, depending on the work needed and when it is easiest to carry it out.

Typical retrofit measures include increasing energy efficiency by improving insulation, changing a gas or oil heating system for a low-carbon heat system such as a heat pump, or generating renewable energy on the roof by installing solar panels.

The benefits of a Whole House Retrofit Plan

A whole-house retrofit approach tailored to the individual building involves a package of improvements rather than the installation of a single measure.  This is important to ensure that improvements are done in a sensible order, thus reducing the need to rework in the future.  A Whole House Retrofit plan will use the fabric-first approach - ensuring that the building is insulated and ventilated effectively, before considering low carbon heating and electricity generation.

A Whole House Retrofit Plan is produced by a qualified professional Retrofit Coordinator.  The Retrofit Coordinator will visit the property, carry out a number of measurements and non-invasive assessments of the building, and use this information to produce the Whole House Retrofit Plan.

Petersfield Climate Action Network has relationships with several retrofit coordinators, and can introduce you to them.  If you would like to find out more, please contact us.