What is Retrofitting?
Retrofitting is the process of modifying a home after it's been built.
Retrofitting a home could involve changing the systems or structure.
This work can improve amenities for our residents and improve the performance of the building, making it cheaper to run.
Here are some examples of retrofitting:
An air source heat pump, transfers heat from the outside air to water, which heats your rooms via radiators.
It can also heat water stored in a hot water cylinder for your hot taps, showers and baths.
Cavity wall insulation is used to reduce heat loss through a cavity wall by filling the air space with material that stops heat transfer.
This captures the air within the cavity, preventing heating loss and resulting in reduced heating costs
External walls can be insulated by adding an insulating layer, on the outside of your home , to prevent heat from escaping through your walls while keeping the cold out.
Internal wall insulation is used to insulate solid wall properties by fitting insulation to the inside walls of your home, creating a thermal barrier between the inside of your home and the outdoor, dramatically reducing heat loss.
Glass fibre insulation is one of the most widely used materials for loft roll insulation.
The layer of insulation traps heat inside the rooms below the loft, so the air within your property stays warmer for longer.
It also keeps cold air from outside entering your property. This means you do not have to heat your home as much to achieve the same temperature in each room.
Room-in-roof insulation involves fitting insulating material between and over the rafters (the sloping timbers that make up the roof itself).
This can be done with rigid insulation boards, cut to size, or alternatively you can have foam insulation sprayed between the rafters.
Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy either through photovoltaic (PV) panels or through mirrors that concentrate solar radiation.
This energy can be used to generate electricity.
"My retrofitted home has cut my energy bills in half"
Southern Housing resident Mrs Keeler had an Air Source Heat Pump installed as part of our retrofit programme.
Previously, her home was heated by night storage heaters, meaning she needed to use a lot more energy to heat it up.
Now, with retrofits installed, Mrs Keeler not only has a warmer home but the upgrades have halved her energy bills
“Before installation, my energy bill was £297. Now, I’m paying £84.90!”
"The benefits of a warmer home that requires less energy to heat is brilliant”.
After arranging a Retrofitting assessment at Miss Shabbir's home, this information was used to design the specific work plan and measures required which included vents, insulation, door undercuts door undercuts and extractor fans.
Miss Shabbir said she had noticed an improvement in temperature in her home straight away. Her home not only feels warmer, but also retains the heat for a much longer space of time after the boiler has switched off.
As a result of having the cavity wall insulation, she has noticed less draughts through the skirting boards and the new bathroom fans has helped to reduce mould.
Miss Shabbir said: “I would recommend working with Southern Housing to get retrofit work completed on your home, as the benefits of a warmer home that requires less energy to heat is brilliant”.
Resident Ms Gregory said she noticed the benefits of the work straight away.
Resident Ms Gregory said the installers kept her informed at all stages. She then said they explained all the measures, what they involved and the benefits she would get from them.
Work on this home took place between November 2023 and January 2024 and included: external wall insulation, loft insulation, extractor fans, door undercuts, trickle vents and roof vent tile & lap vent.
Ms Gregory said the finished external wall insulation gave her home a nice, smart cleaner look and she noticed the benefits of the work straight away. Her home is now warmer and in February 2024 her heating bills had reduced.
What are we doing to make our homes more energy efficient?
To meet government targets on affordable warmth, we must ensure all homes are at least EPC Band C by 2030.
It’s important for us to understand the performance of our homes so we have a way to plan any retrofit work and measure improvements. That's why we’re carrying out regular property condition surveys (we have recent surveys for 71% of our homes).
We’ve also already completed retrofit assessments on more than 2,000 homes. This assessment measures the current energy efficiency of your home and identifies what we can do to reduce the amount of energy you use to heat your home. It helps us to understand the retrofit measures we’ll need to install as well as the cost and impact of the planned works.
If your home is eligible for energy efficiency work there are various measures that we could look to carry out. This includes:
- Loft insulation
- External wall insulation
- Internal wall insulation
- Cavity wall insulation
- New windows
- New heating system e.g. with an air source heat pump
Your home may already meet the current energy efficiency standards, so we don’t need to do anything just yet.
We’ll review this in the future when the new standards come in.
The assessment will be focused on collecting energy data only.
Assessors will not be able to log and raise repairs on your behalf.
Here's what you need to do if you need to report a repair.
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