The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) is launching an eight-week long consultation in a bid to gather input from Rics members and industry professionals on its new Residential Retrofit Standard for 2023.

The new standard will be developed following the consultation, as a response to a demand for high quality, residential retrofit advice, spurred on by increasingly high energy prices and UK government net-zero targets.

The standard will create a framework within which Rics members can advise customers on retrofit options in homes across the UK, in turn supporting the nationwide effort to decarbonise the residential property sector.

Results from the most recent Rics Residential Market Survey provide evidence that energy efficient homes can be more desirable and can help to retain a property’s value.

Other benefits to retrofitting a home include lower energy consumption and creating a more comfortable environment to live in.

However, a consumer survey carried out in July 2023 by Rics in conjunction with YouGov, showed that 36% of homeowners would not know how to go about making their homes more environmentally friendly.

Similarly, 78% of respondents also stated that they would find it helpful if their surveyor could offer retrofitting advice when purchasing a property. These figures highlight the need for trusted, professional advice that customers can rely on.

Rics senior property specialist Antony Parkinson comments: “”We are developing the new retrofit standard at pace so that Rics members can help customers improve the energy efficiency of their homes.We all have a role to play and by working together we can make a difference”.

He points to the fact that an estimated 25 million homes in the UK will require some form of energy improvement work and independent professional advice will be critical for homeowners, occupiers and landlords.