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Retrofit step 1: Insulation

The first step of your retrofit journey is to ensure your home has proper insulation.

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A contractor carrying out external wall insulation retrofit

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How to make your home warmer

To be able to make the home warmer and be able to hold a warmer temperature for longer, it needs to be properly insulated.  

A properly insulated home makes it:

  • More efficient to run
  • More comfortable
  • Healthier to live in
  • Less expensive to heat as you’ll be using less energy

Changeworks’ recommended fabric first approach to retrofit looks at a deep retrofit of the insulating layer of the home.

This helps to determine the best approach and improve any existing insulation with a view to comfort, and specific to the type of construction used to build your home, as opposed to a generic, one-size fits all approach.

Draughts, cold points and edges – where heat loss tends to be greatest – get specific attention. This can include wall, roof and floor insulation, as well as windows and doors.

It’s important to also look at over-heating risk in summer months to make sure that a warm home in winter doesn’t become an unbearably hot one in warmer weather. 

Retrofit step 2: Ventilation

If your home is properly insulated, ensuring effective ventilation is the next important step for your retrofit. 

Ventilation

Retrofit step 3: Electrification

Decarbonise your heating by using a carbon-free source of heating like an air source heat pump.

Electrification

Retrofit step 4: Generation

By generating your own energy you can power your home, your heating and even your electric vehicle.

Generation

Insulation measures

From the roof over your head to the floor beneath your feet, there are a range of insulation options that can work for different types of homes.

Wall insulation

Internal, external and cavity wall insulation are all potential options, but which method you choose depends on your home’s wall type.

Wall insulation

Roof and loft insulation

Uninsulated homes lose a quarter of their heat through the roof. With loft insulation, you can keep your home warm and lower your energy bills.

Roof and loft insulation

Floor insulation

If your home has a ground floor, or if you live above an unheated space, underfloor insulation will help reduce heat loss.

Floor insulation

Windows

Around 10% of the heat in our homes is lost through poorly insulated windows.

Energy efficient windows

Draught proofing

Draught proofing is a cheap and easy way to keep the heat inside your home.

Draught proofing

Useful pages

What is retrofit?

Retrofit means improving the energy efficiency of your home by fitting renewable or energy efficient technology to make it easier and cheaper to heat.

How to retrofit

There are lots of energy efficient technologies available to help you retrofit your home. What’s important to know is the correct way to use them.

Benefits of retrofit

From creating a warmer, healthier home, to saving the planet, there are plenty of good reasons to retrofit.

EcoCosi retrofit service

EcoCosi​ from Changeworks is a new home improvement service for homeowners that delivers home comfort with energy efficient retrofit.

Funding and grants for retrofit

Energy efficiency funding and grants can help pay for your retrofit, helping to keep you to stay warmer and lower your energy bills.

Get a retrofit

If you’re thinking of retrofitting your home to make it more energy efficient, we have a number of funded and self-funded options available.