Personal
Home energy hub
What is a home retrofit?

Saving energy at home

What is a home retrofit?

On this page

What does a home retrofit mean? Open in new window

Four home retrofit steps Open in new window

Retrofit ideas for popular property types Open in new window

Home retrofit questions Open in new window

More retrofit ideas Open in new window

What does a home retrofit mean?

A home retrofit means making changes to your home so it uses less energy.

This can help lower your energy bills and reduce the harm your home causes to the planet.

What are the benefits of retrofitting your home?

Lower energy usage or less wasted energy.
Feeling cosier in winter, with better insulation.
A home that's more desirable to prospective buyers.
A more sustainable home, with lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Reduced risk of damp and mould, by eliminating cold spots and ventilating properly.

New builds vs upgrading an existing home

New homes usually use less energy than older homes.
This is because they are built to modern standards. These standards help keep heat inside and make homes easier to warm up.

Older homes often use more energy.
This can depend on when the home was built. The good news is that you can make changes to help older homes use less energy.

The changes you can make depend on the home.
Some are low cost and easy to do yourself, like adding draught excluders. Others, such as solar panels, cost more at the start and need a trained installer.

These bigger changes can save more energy and money over time.

Watch our customer retrofit videos

play video

Greener Homes Retrofit Project

Follow a group of our customers who are taking part in our Greener Homes Retrofit Project. Hear how the changes could help to reduce their energy bills and make their homes more sustainable too.

Learn more about the project Open in new window

Four home retrofit steps

The steps and timing will depend on your home and what changes you want to make. In general, most people follow these steps.

1. Check how energy efficient your home is
Your Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) shows how energy efficient your home is. It also suggests ways to improve it.
You can also use our free Home Energy Plan to get ideas. Just add your postcode to get started.

2. Get a home survey
It helps to know what changes you might want to make. A trained energy assessor can visit your home and give advice that suits your property and how you use energy.
After the work is done, they may also be able to produce a new EPC for your home.

3. Find the right tradespeople
Some work needs experts, such as insulation or solar panels. It’s important to find people with the right skills.
TrustMark can help you find trained professionals in your area.

4. Pay for the work
You may be able to pay for everything yourself. If not, there are ways we may be able to help.
You can also check if you are eligible for grants or other support.

You don’t have to do everything at once. It’s best to follow the order suggested by your energy assessor. For example, insulating your home before upgrading your heating system.

Home improvement ideas for popular property types

We've identified the five most common types of property in the UK and suggested how you could make them more energy efficient. Even if you don’t find your exact house type, the tips can apply to many different types of homes. You should speak with a qualified expert to understand the changes you could make to your home.

Filter by property type:

Property type

Pre-1919 Victorian mid-terrace

Typical EPC rating without improvements: D or E

For this type of home, the main suggestion is wall insulation. Old buildings can be draughty so keep the warmth in and your house will feel toastier for longer. Solar panels and solar heating are a more sustainable way to generate energy, rather than just preventing it from escaping. Or if you’re looking for an easier first step then swap to low-energy lightbulbs.

It's possible to move properties like this to an EPC rating of C or B.

How much energy could top improvements save?

Solar panels: up to 43% per year.
Wall insulation: up to 24% per year.
Low-energy lighting: up to 4% per year.

Suggestions based on data from Energy Performance of Buildings Register, September 2021.

Mid-century detached

Typical EPC rating without improvements: range of B - E

These types of properties don’t lose as much heating from the walls, so focus more on how to bring energy into the house. Solar panels and low-energy lighting could be ideal for homes like this.

It's possible to move properties like this to an EPC rating of between C to A.

How much energy could top improvements save?

Solar panels: up to 43% per year.
Low-energy lighting: up to 4% per year.

Suggestions based on data from Energy Performance of Buildings Register, September 2021.

Modern semi-detached

Typical EPC rating without improvements: C or D

As a newer building you don’t have to worry so much about insulation. For a bigger change to the house you could look to solar panels and solar heating. If you want to started quickly look to switch to low-energy lighting.

It's possible to move properties like this to an EPC rating of between C to A.

How much energy could top improvements save?

Solar panels: up tp 43% per year.
Solar heating: up to 22% per year.
Low energy lighting: up to 4% per year.

Suggestions based on data from Energy Performance of Buildings Register, September 2021.

Converted flat (1920–1945)

Typical EPC rating without improvements: range of C - E

Make sure to keep the heat inside your flat with wall insulation. And swap to low-energy lighting for some extra savings that won't cost much up front.

It's possible to move properties like this to an EPC rating of C.

How much energy could top improvements save?

Wall insulation: up to 24% per year.
Low energy lighting: up to 4% per year.

Suggestions based on data from Energy Performance of Buildings Register, September 2021.

Mid-terrace (1945–1954)

Typical EPC rating without improvements: D or E

Investing in solar heating and solar panels could save you money in the long run. And for an extra energy savings boost you could switch to sustainable lightbulbs.

It's possible to move properties like this to an EPC rating of C or B.

How much energy could top improvements save?

Solar panels: up to 43% per year.
Solar heating: up to 22% per year.
Low energy lighting: up to 4% per year.

Suggestions based on data from Energy Performance of Buildings Register, September 2021.

Home retrofit questions

How much does it cost to retrofit a house?

The cost will be determined by the type of improvements you make. Preventing draughts can be fairly cheap, and perhaps something you could tackle yourself. Whereas a heat pump is a bigger investment and will need a professional installer.

How long does it take to retrofit a house?

The time really depends on the size of the job. Single items, like loft insulation, could be done in a day. When you start to add other measures, or more complex ones, it adds to the overall time. Professional fitters should be able to give you a clear answer based on what you want them to do.

Will a retrofit increase the value of my home?

Having an energy efficient home is certainly desirable, especially when energy bills are high. And potential buyers may be on the lookout for homes with a high Energy Performance Certificate rating.

Are there any home energy grants or schemes?

Yes, although eligibility criteria may apply. UK Government and local authorities offer a range of support that's worth checking once you have a plan.

In what order should I make changes to my home?

The Centre for Sustainable Energy (N.D) recommends a three step process for a home retrofit: (1) Reduce the energy your home uses (2) Improve its energy efficiency and then (3) Look at renewable alternatives to heat and power your home.

What does a 'fabric first' approach mean?

A fabric first retrofit starts with looking at what improvements could be made to things like walls, lofts and floors first, before looking at more complex things such as heating and hot water systems.

Improving walls, lofts and floor insulation is a common first step to reduce heat loss and prepare your home for any future work you might want to do. It also tends to have a relatively lower cost, compared to replacing something like a home heating system.

You'll need to ensure you have the right amount of ventilation to allow moisture to dry out naturally and avoid causing any damp or mould issues. A survey of your home will highlight what you could do to improve the insulation and where you might need to improve ventilation too.
Source: homebuilding.co.uk, Oct 2022

What is a 'full retrofit' or 'whole home' retrofit?

A full retrofit is a comprehensive plan for home improvements with the aim of making significant improvements to your home's energy efficiency. It starts with an assessment of your home, by a qualified professional. If you don’t already know your home’s current Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating, it’s likely this will be confirmed with the survey. The survey may also tell you what your home’s EPC rating could be if you go ahead with the recommended actions.

The assessment will look at the fabric of your home (e.g. walls, lofts), the services and systems (heating, hot water and lighting) it uses including how much energy they currently use. It will also consider how you use your home and if there are any special circumstances too.

A plan will then be produced and usually split into different phases of work. Each phase will include an estimate of how much the work will cost, estimated energy savings and what the likely impact on your energy bills might be .
Source: Centre for Sustainably Energy, 2019

More retrofit ideas

NatWest Home Energy Plan

See an estimate of how energy-efficient your home is and ideas to make it better with our free home energy tool. All you need is your postcode to get started.

Try it now Open in new window

Retrofit training programme

Are you a business owner?

We've partnered with the Supply Chain Sustainability School Retrofit training programme to help you understand how to make your business premises more energy efficient.

Learn more Open in new window