In the face of the growing climate emergency and increasing energy challenges, the importance of retrofitting homes to meet net-zero carbon goals has never been clearer. Yet, current national policy advice from the Climate Change Committee still places home retrofits as a low priority. The prevailing belief is that it is cheaper to expand renewable energy sources, such as wind farms, than to invest in retrofitting homes to reduce carbon emissions. This approach, however, overlooks the vulnerability of household energy bills and the urgent need to reduce energy demand.
As energy prices rise and fuel poverty worsens, the need for an alternative, equitable route to net zero becomes increasingly urgent. That’s where the RETROFIT-AT-SCALE initiative comes in.
What Is RETROFIT-AT-SCALE?
Developed from the groundwork of the LETI Climate Emergency Retrofit Guide, RETROFIT-AT-SCALE is a focused initiative that addresses the critical question: “How many homes can we retrofit, how deep can the retrofit go, and at what cost?” This project seeks to demonstrate that mass retrofitting of the UK's 28 million homes is not only possible but necessary to significantly reduce household energy demand and cut bills—all while keeping the total cost of the net zero transition under control.
The initiative pushes for a rethinking of how the construction and property sectors approach retrofitting homes, focusing on increasing productivity, driving down costs, and scaling up delivery. RETROFIT-AT-SCALE also highlights the wider benefits of reducing energy demand—such as lowering the need for energy infrastructure, which in turn enables funds to be redirected into more retrofitting.
Why Is This Important?
The RETROFIT-AT-SCALE report outlines a roadmap to halve home heating demand and cut energy bills, without increasing the overall cost of achieving net zero carbon. It is not just a solution to our energy challenges; it’s a call to action for policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders across the board.
To ensure widespread access and engagement with this critical report, the Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF) has stepped up to host the publication, allowing it to reach the hands of those who can help make this vision a reality. The report was developed with input from over 80 volunteers, including architects, engineers, heritage specialists, and local authority professionals, all united by a common goal: to demonstrate the possibilities of large-scale retrofit.
To learn more about this groundbreaking work and how it can shape the future of sustainable housing, you can download the RETROFIT-AT-SCALE report here.
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