Energy retrofit must become embedded into the everyday practices of builders working in the repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) market if we to significantly reduce carbon emissions from housing and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Policy efforts to develop energy retrofit have not delivered the scale of activity needed to meet climate policy goals. Firms operating in the RMI sector are ideally placed to carry out energy retrofit. However, recent policy initiatives have not served the sector well.
Opportunities for improving the energy efficiency of the nation’s homes are routinely missed because they are not planned for. These ‘trigger points’ represent around £11bn of RMI works each year. A policy mix is needed from the UK Government and devolved administrations to help deliver a changed market for retrofit, so that it becomes a normal activity, sought by households and delivered by competent builders, supported by supply chains, intermediaries and other local stakeholders.
We have campaigned for many years for a long-term policy approach to retrofit. However, a lack of a clear pipeline of work is the biggest barrier to more builders delivering these types of projects.
We are grateful to CREDS for their collaboration on this project, as well as the FMB member companies who gave their time, insight and expertise to help shape the recommendations.
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Report launch
The report was launched at an online event on 20 July 2021. We were joined by guest speakers including the Shadow Minister for Energy and the Green New Deal, Dr Alan Whitehead MP, and by the Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee the Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP. Watch the recording below.
