When it comes to upgrading our existing housing stock, we face a number of significant obstacles. These are not simply construction challenges but also political and societal, with two of the biggest barriers being financial and educational. To encourage people to invest in their homes, they need to understand why they should invest, what they are investing in and what benefits it will bring. Retrofit should mean reduced bills, healthier homes and a better living environment. The question is, how do we overcome these barriers and make retrofit happen at scale?
Energy is becoming increasingly expensive and will continue to rise. Therefore, it is profligate not to address energy waste by improving the fabric of our buildings. That means upgrading walls, floors and roofs with high-performance insulation such as PIR. These are proven solutions that make buildings thermally efficient for decades to come.
Strategic retrofit
Over the past two decades, a range of strategies have been suggested to make refurbishment more attractive. Proposals have included adapting stamp duty so that when people move into a new home, they are more likely to invest in and carry out improvements to the building. Other ideas have looked at reducing the council tax for homeowners who carry out refurbishment work within a set period. Both approaches have their challenges. Local authorities are already under financial strain which makes council tax reductions unlikely without government support. Stamp duty reform has also been discussed but never implemented in a way that delivers real change. Incentives such as these need to be seriously considered if retrofit is to happen at the scale required.
Improving our existing homes is undoubtedly complex. Yet the process does not have to be daunting if approached strategically. An energy audit should always be the starting point, identifying any remedial work and improvements before major work begins.
From there, we must focus first on the basics, including insulation and ventilation. Only then should we add the bolt-on technologies such as solar panels and heat pumps. These solutions are not silver bullets in isolation. They must work together as part of an integrated approach that reduces energy demand and enhances performance.
‘Build baby build’
Alongside retrofit, we know that government has a target of building 1.5 million new homes during this parliament. Having the aspiration is good but we must ensure the houses that we do build are built to a standard that meets future expectations. It is much better to build new properties with the aim of not having to refurbish them between now and our 2050 net zero targets. My message to the government is, yes, have that aspiration. Yes, build more houses, but the quality is as important as the quantity. This will help them meet our future demands and provide a legacy for future generations that the housing stock we are building today is good for decades still to come and is not added to the ‘homes in need of refurbishment’ pile.
Too often, developers claim to deliver homes at EPC ‘A’ or ‘B’ rating, but in reality, compliance is inconsistent and frequently inadequate. The gap between what is promised and what is delivered is storing up future problems. We need robust inspection regimes, tighter enforcement, and meaningful penalties for failure to meet ever increasing standards. Without accountability, we will never close the performance gap.
High-quality insulation is not a short-term fix. Installed correctly, it lasts for the lifetime of the building and continues to deliver performance year after year. It is the ultimate “fit and forget” solution. What’s more, initiatives such as building passports ( digital records of work carried out and materials used) can give future homeowners the confidence and assurance that their properties have been brought up to the required standard.
A call to action
The industry has the materials, technology and knowledge to improve our buildings but what is missing is the political thrust, financial support, and regulatory enforcement to drive large-scale change.
If we are to meet our net zero commitments by 2050, government must focus as much on quality as on quantity. That means incentivising retrofit, demanding higher standards from developers, and creating a clear roadmap that gives both industry and homeowners the confidence to act.
21 October 2025
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