Rachael Owens at National Retrofit Hub discusses challenges surrounding retrofit funding and how it can better deliver.
Retrofit spending has the potential to deliver far greater value than it does today. When we plan works to achieve multiple outcomes together, public and private money goes further. That means thinking about maintenance, health, accessibility and climate resilience alongside energy performance and Net Zero, then designing programmes that bring these aims together from the start.
At elementalLONDON, I will share the practical ways that building data can help us plan, prioritise and evaluate retrofit against this broader set of outcomes. Using stronger evidence means every pound spent delivers more for residents, landlords and the public purse.
Too often, upgrades are scoped around modelled savings alone. Anyone who has worked with EPC data knows its limits. Two neighbouring homes with the same rating can perform very differently. Basing plans on incomplete pictures risks poor value and missed opportunities. A familiar example is installing loft insulation while ignoring high levels of air permeability, so residents never see the comfort or bill savings they were promised, because heat is still lost through large drafts.
When we widen the brief, additional gains become visible and, crucially, financeable. Approaches that pair building fabric improvements (e.g. insulation, ventilation and airtightness) with timely maintenance, such as improving drainage or repointing, can protect the building and avoid repeat enabling works like scaffolding. Designing for summer comfort through shading and ventilation can cut overheating risks that are growing across the UK. Thinking about accessibility during works can reduce later disruption. If we think holistically, and time works together, we can spend more wisely for the future of our homes and buildings.
Using real performance data and NRH’s role
Measuring real performance is now far more affordable. Where a co-heating test once cost hundreds of pounds, now there are lower cost methods that combine smart meter data with indoor and outdoor temperature sensors to calculate thermal performance for tens of pounds. This allows better targeting and creates a feedback loop after works, so we can check whether promised outcomes are delivered.
The National Retrofit Hub is exploring how this can support standards in the private rented sector, where roughly one in ten homes has a severe health hazard and many renters face fuel poverty. We are recommending ways to embed simple remote monitoring into minimum standards and capture this data within digital building logbooks. This would verify upgrades and give enforcement teams usable evidence. For funders and landlords, that reduces the risk of paying for measures that don’t deliver for tenants.
Our Measuring Outcomes and Impact Evaluation work is gathering examples and frameworks that go beyond energy alone. We have profiled approaches that measure metered savings and social value, giving project teams a starting point rather than a blank page. In parallel, we are supporting a study led by Arup on using low-cost monitoring at stock level. Key questions include when to monitor every home, what amount of sampling is enough, and how to blend building level data with stock models and thermal imaging. The aim is to give providers and authorities the confidence to prioritise the right homes and measures first time.
We are also convening a Financing Outcomes and Impact group with partners including the Green Finance Institute and Domna. The group focuses on helping owners and providers quantify benefits that appear in their bottom line, such as fewer voids, lower rental arrears and reduced maintenance spend. Bringing asset management, public health and housing teams together helps align budgets and avoid fragmented decisions.
Smart meter data has strong potential for planning and validation at scale, provided privacy is protected. At elementalLONDON, Smart DCC will outline what data exists, how it can be accessed responsibly, and where the practical limits lie. We are also speaking with government teams working on smart meter enabled thermal efficiency ratings (SMETERS) in social housing. If your organisation is already using smart meter data to plan or evaluate retrofit, we would like to hear from you.
A call to action for the sector
Consistency matters. Work to support Local Authorities shows that the way in which data is collected, stored and shared can make or break effective standards enforcement. Clear protocols and interoperable systems save time for stretched local authorities, and aligned reporting across grant schemes would reduce duplication. Our State of the Nation work brought together what we know about delivery volumes and gaps. Our next update will map what current schemes target, alongside what they ask to be reported, compared with what is actually being measured, so we can understand where there are opportunities to better target, evidence and align objectives.
On 19 to 20 November at Excel London, we will share these findings and invite discussion on how to turn them into everyday practice. If we plan retrofit around the outcomes people feel in their homes, with data that reflects how buildings really perform, we can deliver better value and better lives.
The National Retrofit Hub is hosting a number of live discussions at elementalLONDON. To register for your free ticket, click here.
