Retrofitting Homes: Why It's Vital for a Sustainable Future

Dear Reader,

I am not sure if you have heard, but at the end of a tumultuous 2023 house prices are falling a little, or maybe they are rising, or maybe staying the same, or even crashing after inflation is taken into consideration…no one really seems to know, I certainly don’t! (Top tip: if anyone tells you with any certainty they know what is happening to house prices they are lying)....You will be glad to read that I will not be talking about house prices in this blog (maybe I will do one on why I do not think they really matter), instead I will be discussing something maybe not as exciting, but much more important:

The importance of retrofitting our homes

The UK has around 28 millions dwellings. The vast majority of which require some sort of retrofitting works carried out in order to improve energy efficiency, ideally to a minimum EPC B. Furthermore, according to the 2021- 22 English Housing Survey, around 14% of households (3.5million) in England alone failed to meet the Decent Homes Standard, 10% of households (2.3million) live in a home with a Category 1 hazard present and 4% (935,000) live in a home with a damp problem. As I am sure you have seen, there have been some very sad and high profile issues caused by damp and landlords not seeking suitable remedies.

As I am sure you are aware, the UK Government have set a legal target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In addition the Government have pledged to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. We are getting there, with overall reductions in greenhouse gas emissions falling 49.7% from 1990 to 2020. However, there is still a long way to go and the energy crisis over the last 18 months has highlighted how vulnerable the UK is to international energy price variances.

So what has all this got to do with property and the home you are living in? Well, our homes use 35% of all the energy in the UK and emit 20% of the carbon dioxide. Therefore, if we are the meet the UK Government emissions targets, our homes need to become more efficient. Well you might say that we can all simply move into a brand new, energy efficient EPC A banded new build house. We could, and it is certainly true that newer properties are more efficient than older dwellings, indeed, the median estimated CO2 emissions from existing dwellings are more than double the emissions of new dwellings in the same region (ONS). I have seen some very impressive energy efficient developments and I am delighted that more and more developers are greatly improving the sustainability of the homes they build. However, new build homes are only one part of the UK housing mix. Therefore, a multi-pronged approach to the issue of carbon reduction in our homes must be adopted with attention also being paid to making our existing homes as efficient as possible.

So what is retrofitting and what benefits will it bring

Retrofitting refers to the process of upgrading existing buildings to improve their energy efficiency and reduce their carbon emissions. There are several reasons why retrofitting our homes is crucial:

Significant Carbon Savings - Retrofitting houses is one of the most effective ways to reduce carbon emissions, as residential buildings are responsible for around 20% of the UK's total carbon emissions. Retrofitting can help reduce emissions by improving the energy efficiency of buildings, reducing the need for heating and cooling, and decreasing reliance on fossil fuels.

Tackling fuel poverty – Fuel poverty occurs when households spend more than 10% of their income on energy bills. The charity National Energy Action estimated that the total number of households across the UK in fuel poverty increased from around 4 million in the summer of 2020 to 7.5 million by April 2023. By improving the energy efficiency of homes, households can reduce their energy bills.

Job creation – a mass scheme of retrofitting homes across the UK will create a whole new industry and the jobs required to support it. Retrofitting requires skilled labour which can provide significant employment opportunities.

Improved health and comfort – I have already highlighted the poor state of a significant proportion of the UK housing stock, retrofitting can tackle these issues by reducing cold drafts, eradicating dampness and mold and improving air quality thereby reducing the risk of respiratory problems, as a relatively new father, with another on the way (two under two, I know…!) this is a big concern.

Global climate change – whilst retrofitting houses can solve a multitude of local issues there is one massive problem it can help alleviate: global climate change. Retrofitting our homes will have a significant impact on the amount of carbon produced in the UK and help reduce our overall carbon footprint and contribute to the global effort to mitigate climate change.

These are some of the many benefits that could be achieved from retrofitting our homes. However, it is not an easy process, and there are several issues that need to be overcome, most notably the costs involved, but also the fact that not every property is the same. Unfortunately, it is not simply the case that double glazing can be installed and the job is done (not always allowed in conservation areas or on listed buildings). A comprehensive retrofitting plan must be put in place (and paid for) for each property. I know from my own experience of refurbishing many properties over the past 12 years that the costs quickly mount up and there are always unforeseen issues, especially when dealing with older properties (my oldest one dates from the 1830s!).

I am delighted to see the government are taking this issue seriously by investing a further £1.25billion on top of the £6billion announced in 2022 towards the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. The aim of the fund is to insulate or retrofit 140,000 homes between 2025 and 2028. This is a significant investment and is hopefully the start of the retrofit revolution.

It is crucial that retrofitting our homes, is a crucial element of tackling climate change and reducing the UK emissions. It must be part of a multi pronged approach that includes building more new, energy efficient homes.

If you have got this far, thank you! I will leave you with one eye opening stat: 80% of the homes we will be living in in the UK in 2050 have already been built. This means that if the UK is to meet the net zero target by 2050 retrofitting our current housing stock is a necessity.