The UK has some of the oldest and least energy efficient homes in Europe. With higher energy bills likely to remain a reality for most over the next decade, upgrading our inefficient homes has never been more important.
Whilst public awareness and interest around energy efficiency and low carbon heating as a solution to lower bills is growing, each home will be different and personal circumstances unique, meaning a one size fits all approach will fall short. Access to impartial, personalised advice to help households who are looking to make changes to their homes is a key enabler. The biggest gap in retrofit advice provision in Great Britain is in England, where only parts of the country have access to local services, meaning overall provision is inconsistent.
This paper sets out why retrofit advice must be delivered at both a local and national level to ensure all households in England have access to independent and personalised advice. Looking at international case studies, this paper draws on useful insights into how best to bridge the advice gap. This will be crucial to drive retrofit at the pace and scale needed to permanently reduce energy bills, improve energy security and cut carbon emissions.