What is Retrofit?
Retrofitting is the process of making changes to an existing building to make it more energy efficient, more comfortable, cheaper to heat and healthier to live in. Retrofitting can help you tackle problems like damp, condensation, and mould. It could help reduce your energy bills, improve your health and it could also help reduce your carbon emissions.
This can be done by improving loft or roof insulation, reducing draughts, double or triple glazing or adding solar panels (pop your postcode into Solar Wizard and in just a few clicks it will tell you how much electricity you might be able to generate from rooftop solar panels on your house). It is best to consider how you might be able to improve the energy efficiency of your house before carrying out work you might need or want to do, like decorating or rendering and replastering, replacing an old boiler, fixing a roof, building an extension, or replacing your kitchen. This way you can make potential savings as you incorporate thermal upgrades into the upkeep and maintenance of your home.
What is a Home Energy Plan and how can it help me?
A Home Energy Plan can help you understand where your house loses heat and energy, and plan how to make improvements as efficiently as possible either now or in the future.
A qualified retrofit assessor will carry out a ‘whole house assessment’. This involves looking at your home’s construction and probable insulation based on regulations in place at the time it was built and any improvements that have already been made. It can consider walls, lofts and roofs, floors, windows and doors, as well as how energy is used to heat your rooms and your hot water, and it is tailored to each particular home. The condition of your building is important as this will affect how well it retains heat, and an adequate ventilation strategy is essential to manage moisture and air quality.
If you live in Frome or a surrounding village, and your house is more than 20 years old use the form below to sign up for your free Home Energy Plan.
Who is this service for?
- Perhaps you’ve just moved into a new home and have alterations planned
- You may be a homeowner, or you may be a landlord with private rental properties
- You may live in a whole house, in a flat or mainsonette
- You might be suffering from health conditions which could be caused or affected by living in a cold, damp home
- Perhaps you are wondering if you can save money on your energy bills or reduce your carbon footprint by installing renewable energy technology
- If you would like a plan for your community building the CSE offers Community Building Energy Surveys – Centre for Sustainable Energy
What is the process?
After you fill in the form (see below), we will contact you and make an appointment to visit you at your home. A survey can take up to one and a half hours, depending on the size of your house.
After an initial chat, there will be the opportunity for a “walk around” to look at any areas of concern or particular interest and to make any relevant direct measurements – for example, to check loft insulation levels where accessible.
A plan is then produced which compares your home to the baseline recorded on your current Energy Performance Certificate, if you have one, or assesses this baseline if you don’t (note: we do not provide an EPC). It then suggests some next steps to improve performance and, where appropriate, gives an indication of order of prioritisation, where to look for further information or support, and then it is up to you as the homeowner to decide which measures you might want to undertake and when.
Our Energy Champions can offer ongoing advice and support should you need it.
Contact EnergyAdvice@frometowncouncil.gov.uk or 01373 480391.
How much will it cost?
This won’t cost you anything.
The free assessments are carried out by our partners at the Centre for Sustainable Energy
The Centre for Sustainable Energy is an independent national charity formed in 1979. We work towards a world where sustainability is second nature, carbon emissions have been cut to safe levels and fuel poverty has been replaced by energy justice. We share our knowledge and practical experience to empower people to change the way they think and act about energy.
Futureproof from the Centre for Sustainable Energy makes home energy improvements simple, achievable and worthwhile. We offer expert home surveys, practical advice, and trusted guidance to help homeowners create more comfortable homes that are cheaper to run.
What we can’t do…
The report can help you to be as informed as possible as to what your retrofit options might be and how you might benefit from carrying out work on your house. However, you should always consult a specialist to ensure that work is carried out correctly.
We can’t fund the work on your house (though we may be able to advise on relevant grants), neither can we draw up plans or details to give to contractors or suppliers or oversee any work which you choose to go ahead with.
It will always be your decision if you want to carry out any work and if you require help to do so, you can engage an architect, surveyor, project manager or retrofit coordinator to assist you and manage your project for you.
Sign up for a free Home Energy Plan
To qualify for a free Home Energy Plan your property must be:
- Over 20 years old (built in or before 2003)
- Within Frome or the surrounding villages
- A residential property, not a retail/business premises
Please fill out the form below and we will be in touch. The details you provide will be handled in line with Frome Town Council’s Privacy Policy.
Useful links
What is retrofit – Centre for Sustainable Energy (cse.org.uk)
Retrofit your home • TrustMark
Measures to help reduce home heat loss – Energy Saving Trust
RETROFIT! Somerset’s Retrofit Green Directory
