Want to retrofit your home?
Where to start with retrofitting your home?
With so many retrofit options available, it can be difficult to know where to begin. The information below will help guide you through the first steps to improving your home’s energy efficiency.
Do you have an up-to-date Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?
A good starting point is your home’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
An EPC rates a property’s energy efficiency from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and is valid for 10 years. It provides information on your property’s energy use, typical energy costs, and recommendations for improvements.
The cost of an EPC assessment varies depending on factors such as the size, type, and location of the property.
Before booking a new assessment, you can check if your property already has a valid EPC by searching the Government’s register for free.
Consider a Retrofit Assessment
A retrofit assessment provides a more detailed review of your home’s energy performance than an EPC.
This assessment looks at several factors, including:
- Occupancy and how the home is used
- Energy performance
- Ventilation
- The overall condition of the property
The results are passed to a Retrofit Coordinator, who will develop an improvement plan for your home. This plan can look up to 30 years ahead and will consider your budget, goals, and the specific needs of your property.
A retrofit assessment helps ensure that improvements are carried out in the most suitable and effective way for your home.
Could you be eligible for funding?
Although retrofit improvements will reduce your utility bills and pay for themselves over time, they can involve high upfront costs and long payback times.
There may be grants or financial support available to help you cover some of these costs.
To see a list of available funding and check your eligibility, visit E.ON Energy.
Make Sure Work Meets Required Standards
Energy efficiency standards are becoming stricter, particularly where government funding is involved. It is important to ensure any work carried out on your home meets the required regulations.
Key things to consider include:
- An EPC is required when a property is built, sold, or rented. Failure to have a valid EPC in these situations may result in a fine.
- Retrofit Assessors must be accredited through recognised schemes such as STROMA, ECMK, or Elmhurst
- It is recommended that retrofit work is carried out by TrustMark registered installers, the government-endorsed quality scheme for home improvement work.
- Since June 2021, companies installing energy efficiency measures must comply with PAS 2035 and PAS 2030 standards.
- Under PAS 2035, retrofit projects must be overseen by a Retrofit Coordinator, who manages and is responsible for the project from start to finish.
For more information on PAS 2035 and 2030 see: What is PAS 2035? - Retrofit Academy