Retrofitting your home

Read our guide on how you can retrofit your home to make it more energy efficient

What is retrofitting?

Retrofitting is the process of making improvements to your home so that energy consumption and emissions are reduced. 

There are several benefits to retrofitting your home, including improving energy efficiency of your home, cutting your fuel bills, potentially increasing your property price, and creating greater comfort. 

Energy efficient lighting:

Use LED bulbs for significant energy savings and reduced maintenance costs.

Ventilation:

Upgrade or install mechanical ventilation systems to improve indoor air quality.

Insulation:

Upgrade or add insulation materials to reduce heat transfer, maintain consistent temperatures, and enhance comfort.

Temperature systems:

Replace outdated HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) equipment with energy-efficient models for precise temperature control and lower heating and cooling costs.

Airtightness / draught proofing:

Seal air leaks and insulate to improve energy efficiency and reduce drafts and energy bills.

Renewable technologies:

Install solar panels or wind turbines to generate clean, renewable energy on-site, reducing reliance on the grid.

Water heating systems:

Upgrade to energy-efficient options such as heat pump water heaters or solar water heaters for lower water heating costs.

Energy monitoring systems:

Install smart meters or monitoring devices to track energy usage, identify energy-intensive areas, and optimise efficiency.

Visit the Gov.uk website to see how you could improve your home

Gov.uk tips on improving your home

Finding a reputable Tradesperson to help with retrofitting 

Once you’ve decided to undertake a project to retrofit your home, you’ll need to find suppliers to help you with the improvements to your home.  

With TrustMark, you can discover endorsed tradespeople as this can be a challenging part of the process. TrustMark Registered tradespeople are vetted and monitored to ensure they meet the required standards to help homeowners have confidence in their decisions.

How much does retrofitting your home cost?​

Retrofitting your home can offer a range of benefits, but it’s important to consider various factors before diving into the process. One crucial aspect is the cost variation associated with retrofitting.

Some high-level cost assumptions of retrofitting include:

  • Cost variation:
    Retrofitting costs can vary depending on certain factors such as the size of the property, how complex the changes are, labour/materials cost, and how many modifications are needed.
  • Upfront investment:
    To install the upgrades you may have to pay a large upfront fee depending on the size of the installation.
  • Uncertain ROI:
    Retrofitting is a long-term investment with the potential for financial benefits, but the actual return on investment varies. Factors such as achieved energy savings, duration of ownership, and changes in energy prices introduce uncertainty regarding the financial gains over time.
  • Maintenance and operation costs:
    After retrofitting, you’ll still need to think about ongoing costs like maintenance and repairs. This means doing regular check-ups and fixing any problems with the new systems.

Government schemes

The UK Government runs several schemes that can help you fund a retrofitting project 

What Government schemes are available?
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