Leaders from across the housing, construction and energy sectors are calling on the government to launch a “retrofit revolution” in order to meet the 2050 net zero targets.

The group of 14 organisations are urging the government to create a long-term and fully-funded strategy to deliver green homes and decarbonise existing housing stock.

Seven critical areas identified which are necessary to unlock the action required to fully decarbonise UK’s homes by 2050.

Without an urgent plan, the companies say the government risks missing its net zero targets. 

Britain’s 29 million homes produce around 15 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions, yet 60 per cent of consumers don’t think their energy consumption at home has much of an impact.

[Many cannot afford the cost of making their homes energy-efficient, or don’t know how. 

Ensuring people have the confidence and ability to make green improvements to their homes – creating a green housing revolution – is vital to tackle climate change.]

The group, convened by Nationwide Building Society, includes British Gas, Energiesprong UK, E.ON, The Federation of Master Builders, Igloo Regeneration, Legal and General Modular Homes, Midas Group Ltd,  Nationwide Building Society, Professor Tadj Oreszczyn of the UCL Energy Institute, Rockwool UK, Smart Metering Systems, Switchd, and Trustmark. 

The group is calling for the government to take the following key steps:

• Work hand-in-hand with industry to establish a roadmap to bringing the Future Homes Standard implementation forward to ensure that all homes are built with low-carbon heating and energy efficiency measures. Just a fraction of new builds are currently built to EPC A standard. Until this changes, we are still building new homes that are not fit for the future.
• Create new jobs in green retrofitting: At present there aren’t enough skilled installers and tradespeople to retrofit all the nation’s homes. However, the construction sector cannot upskill until there is established demand. Government must work with industry to help stimulate demand and to create an ambitious skills strategy, which will provide good quality jobs across the UK.
• Make it fairly financed: Government could encourage consumers via a long-term commitment, including supplementary grant funding as a stimulus, and, critically, should help those who simply cannot afford to pay.
• Make property fit for the future: It is time for the EPC to become a ‘living document’, akin to a building passport, that reflects changes made to the home.   
• Support green homes with green power: Great strides have been made in the decarbonisation of UK energy, and we keenly anticipate the release of the Heat and Buildings Strategy. Clean energy and heat are a key to any national retrofit strategy.
• Regulate green retrofitting: Consumers need faith in the quality of the work if they are to retrofit. The government should regulate to ensure that all installers undertaking ‘green home’ retrofits are Trustmark certified and compliant with PAS standards.
• A public information campaign that inspires: Inertia and misinformation is rife regarding green. It’s time for an inspirational public information campaign that helps people understand what is possible for their home. 

Nationwide Building Society chief strategy and sustainability officer Claire Tracey says: “Making our 29 million homes greener is one of the most pressing issues of our time: buildings are the second largest source of carbon emissions in the UK. 

“Nationwide is committed to sustainable housing, and we are working on this with the housing, energy and construction industries, on behalf of our members. 

“But we need government support, too.

“Together, we are asking the government to create a national retrofitting strategy that ensures the UK’s Paris Agreement commitments can be met. “Anything less and we risk not only missing our climate targets, but also missing an opportunity to achieve higher-quality housing, lower energy bills, and new green jobs for the whole of the UK.”