Retrofit: improving energy efficiency for residential property

This guide has now replaced the RICS Guide: Reducing Carbon in Your Home

This guide provides in-depth information on all aspects of making homes more energy efficient, known as retrofitting. There is an increasing public interest in retrofitting as more people seek to keep costs down with energy-efficient home installations.

This work is also proving crucial for the transformation of the UK into a net zero nation. According to the Climate Change Committee (CCC), residential retrofits need to increase to a rate of 500,000 per year from 2025, and one million per year by 2030 to meet the government’s net-zero target. In March 2024, RICS launched its first residential retrofit standard, which set down key rules for professionals working on retrofit projects.

This new consumer guide provides important information for the consumer-side of this work. Some of the important topics covered by the consumer guide include:

• The heating system
• Appliances
• Ventilation
• Insulation
• Professional energy audits (EPC)