Retrofitting the UK’s homes is often framed as a climate obligation to meet the legally binding target of net zero by 2050 (2045 in Scotland).
While reducing carbon emissions from buildings is essential to meeting this target – residential buildings account for roughly 20% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions, and are the fourth highest emitting sector in Scotland – this framing significantly understates the full value of retrofit.
Retrofitting existing building stock to improve its energy efficiency is not just a climate intervention. UK housing stock is one of the oldest and least energy efficient in Europe.
Combined with rising energy costs, this has resulted in 11% of households in England are in fuel poverty, rising to an alarming 34% in Scotland. Fuel poverty and carbon emissions are interconnected and share a common solution: retrofit.
When done well, retrofit delivers economic, social, health, and comfort benefits: warmer, healthier homes; reduced pressure on public services; lower energy bills; investment in local jobs and supply chains.
Retrofit can include measures such as:
- Fabric efficiency improvements (e.g. wall insulation)
- Ventilation upgrades (e.g. mechanical extraction)
- On‑site renewables and energy storage (e.g. solar PV, thermal batteries)
- Low‑carbon heating systems (e.g. heat pumps)
Furthermore, for landlords retrofit can extend maintenance and investment cycles, increase property values, and reduce void periods. These benefits are well evidenced in research and increasingly visible in practice.
This whitepaper from Ian Cochran, our Head of Consultancy, and Ewan Brady, a Senior Researcher, builds on the findings of our recent work which looked at how social landlords in Scotland are incorporating the wider social and health benefits (or ‘co-benefits’) of energy efficient housing retrofit into asset management and investment decisions.
In conclusion, it finds that there is now overwhelming evidence that retrofit delivers substantial physical, mental and economic benefits.
Retrofit as an economic, social health and sustainability driver
Whether it’s physical health, mental health and wellbeing, cutting carbon emissions and saving on energy bills, this whitepaper highlights the multiple benefits that retrofit brings to individuals and communities.
