The Importance of Retrofit

Did you know that there are over 27 million homes in the UK that need retrofitting? In order to meet the government's commitment of net zero by 2050 that's 2,466 homes per day, or 1.8 homes every minute!

It's a formidable task, and here at Barefoot we are doing everything we can to get involved.

Last week we were invited to attend the launch of 'Retrofit West', hosted by Dan Norris (Metro Mayor) and Ed Miliband (Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change & Net Zero).

Last week we were invited to attend the launch of 'Retrofit West', hosted by Dan Norris (Metro Mayor) and Ed Miliband (Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change & Net Zero). This ambitious £10M project by WECA (West of England Combined Authority) seeks to deliver home improvements across the region. The initiative will include various strands – funding for lower income households, a free homeowner advice service, and resources dedicated to training the workforce.

We also went on a team day out to visit 'Retrofit 23: Towards Deep Retrofit of Homes at Scale', a free exhibition at The Building Centre in London. It includes a range of case studies which highlight how a wide variety of approaches will be required to sensitively bring the UK's mixed housing stock up to date.

Meanwhile in the office we have several live retrofit projects which are keeping us busy! We recently submitted a planning application for a retrofit and extension of a large house in a Conservation Area. We are proposing to drastically improve its performance with external wall insulation, triple glazed windows, improved airtightness and MVHR. The external appearance is going to be refreshed with new brickwork, clay tiles and copper roofing. On another project, Weston Road, we are undertaking technical design and exploring how we can incorporate natural insulation materials as much as possible, including sheep's wool and wood fibre.

We recently submitted a planning application for a retrofit and extension of a large house in a Conservation Area.

We think retrofit presents an incredible opportunity - to reduce energy usage, improve the health and comfort of our homes and to reimagine their appearance. If you are interested in bringing your home up to date but are not sure where to start, please feel free to get in touch for an informal consultation.