Getting home retrofit right

Abigail Ward, Policy Manager | Energy Saving Trust

The Chancellor confirmed in the Spending Review earlier this month that the full £13.2bn manifesto commitment will be invested in the Warm Homes Plan.

While this is welcome news, UK rates of home decarbonisation are significantly off track, and people are still feeling the effects of persistently high energy prices. To cut bills, the plan needs to set out a joined-up roadmap for achieving the government’s target of upgrading five million homes to permanently reduce household energy use.

As a leading organisation with over 30 years’ experience helping homes and businesses to adopt energy efficiency and low-carbon measures, we’ve put forward five evidence-backed recommendations for the plan to drive forward a large-scale roll-out of home energy improvements that people would see real benefits from.

The first is to empower people to upgrade their homes with comprehensive advice and support, provided through a national advice service in England. Our research shows that while 80 per cent of homeowners in England are interested in making home improvements to reduce their home’s carbon footprint, half don’t know where to get independent, impartial advice – and 36 per cent aren’t confident in assessing where to start.¹

Energy Saving Trust’s experience delivering Scotland’s national advice service demonstrates that every £1 spent on expert, tailored advice returns almost £15 in lifetime savings for households engaging with the service. If a similar service were replicated and delivered at scale across England, it would have the potential to deliver lifetime savings of more than £10bn a year for households. The Energy Security and Net Zero Committee recently set out a similar ask for a new national Warm Homes Advice Service in England, backed by our evidence.

Secondly, there must be an attractive financial offering for all households, so everyone can afford to upgrade their home. Those in fuel poverty need access to grants that cover the full cost of retrofit, while across the income scales, tiered grants, combined with government-backed loans, should be made available.

Low-carbon heating will play a crucial role in the UK’s transition away from fossil fuels. The plan must therefore support households to overcome upfront cost and address running costs to accelerate the roll-out of low-carbon heating technologies, primarily heat pumps. Alongside financial support, consistent myth-busting would increase trust and combat misinformation.

To build the workforce and supply chain needed to meet the demand from households, the plan must provide a fully funded skills and training strategy and incentives to encourage existing workers to retrain.

Alongside policy certainty and clarity, this will allow businesses to confidently invest in developing the skills of the current and future workforce.

Finally, to achieve the scale of delivery the plan envisages, it must be long-term and comprehensive. The plan must include support for all building types and tenures and improve consumer protections to ensure people can rectify potential issues. Long-term policy signals are essential and have been a key feature of successful retrofit schemes in other countries.

To cut bills, the plan needs to set out a joined-up roadmap for achieving the government’s target of upgrading five million homes to permanently reduce household energy use

The recent publication of several important consultations is welcome, and swift implementation is now key. The Warm Homes Plan is a pivotal opportunity to empower households across the country to make their homes more affordable to heat, while reducing the UK’s energy demand and improving energy security. Now is the time for the government to be bold.

Read Energy Saving Trust’s full report, Getting home retrofit right: what the UK needs from the Warm Homes Plan and beyond, at energysavingtrust.org.uk/warm-homes-plan

1. Energy Saving Trust and Censuswide. Research conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 4,292 homeowners in England between 7 - 11 April 2025

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