Energy saving advice and support

Retrofitting’ is the process of upgrading an existing building to improve its energy efficiency, comfort and overall performance.

Retrofitting is most effective when you take a ‘whole-house’ approach. This means looking at the home and building as a whole, creating a plan that ensures all the upgrades work well together to create a comfortable, healthy and efficient home.

Why should I upgrade my home?

Upgrading your home can bring numerous benefits:

• Increased comfort: Better insulation and heating systems create a more comfortable living environment year-round.
• Improved health: Improved ventilation and air quality can reduce respiratory issues and allergies.
• Lower energy bills: Energy-efficient homes typically have significantly reduced heating and cooling costs.
• Reduce carbon emissions: About 15% of emissions across Westminster come from heating and powering homes. Upgrading your home to be more energy efficient is one of the best things you can do to tackle climate change.

When should I upgrade my home?

The sooner you invest in upgrading your home, the sooner you or your tenants will enjoy these benefits.

If you’re planning renovations, it’s an ideal time to incorporate energy-efficiency and energy system improvements, potentially reducing future costs.

What upgrades can I do?

To improve your home’s performance, consider these steps:

1. Reduce energy demand: Through insulation, repairs and draughtproofing. This improves comfort and immediately lowers energy bills.
2. Upgrade heating and energy systems: Consider switching to more efficient electric heating and cooking appliances for better control and air quality.
3. Generate renewable energy: Where feasible, install solar panels to generate your own renewable energy and reduce energy bills.

You don't need to complete all steps at once. If you have a limited budget, start with Step 1 to see improvements in comfort and energy bills.

Step 1: Reduce your home’s energy demand

Some measures that you can take to reduce your home’s energy demand and heat loss include:

• draught-proofing, for example installing door and window seals
• upgrading appliances and lighting to more energy-efficient models
• insulating walls, loft and under the floor.
• upgrading windows with secondary, double or triple glazing.

Step 2: Switch to electric heating and cooking

Electricity is currently more expensive than gas, so it is important to go through step 1 (reducing energy demand) before moving on to step 2 (electric heating and cooking).

For most homes, an electric-powered heating alternative will be an electric storage heater or a heat pump.

Heat pumps take ambient heat from the ground, air, or water, and convert this into heat for a home. Most heat pumps in Westminster are air source.

You can also reduce your carbon footprint by switching gas-fired hobs in your kitchen to electric or induction hobs.

Step 3: Generate your own renewable energy

You can generate your own renewable energy by installing solar panels on your roof. These will be either photovoltaic panels (which generate electricity) or thermal panels (which heat your water). These are unlikely to generate enough energy for your whole home but can supplement your main supply.

The average cost of a solar PV system (including installation) is £4,000 - £6,000. You can get money back for any energy you generate but don’t use through the Smart Export Guarantee scheme. MoneySavingExpert and the Energy Saving Trust have some very helpful resources on the costs and benefits of solar panels. 

Where can I find out more?

There are lots of places to get more detail on different upgrade options:

• check our planning pages for our ‘how to’ guides and to see whether planning approvals may be required, and if so, how to successfully apply
• we suggest you use suitably qualified contractors to design and deliver improvements to your home, for example those listed under the government-endorsed quality scheme Trustmark.