A practical approach to improving your home’s energy performance.
A whole-house energy retrofit means improving your home’s insulation, heating, ventilation, and energy generation in a joined-up way. Done well, it can significantly reduce energy bills, improve comfort, and lower your carbon footprint. The key is to start with the right priorities and take a planned approach rather than doing things piecemeal.
Before spending money, get a clear picture of your home’s current performance. This usually involves:
Reducing heat loss is usually the most cost-effective first step. Good targets include:
Improving insulation often allows you to install a smaller, more efficient heating system later.
Whether you’re installing a heat pump now or later, get a proper heat loss calculation done. This ensures the heating system is correctly sized for your home after insulation improvements.
As homes become more airtight through insulation and draught proofing, ventilation becomes more important to avoid condensation and maintain good air quality. This is often overlooked in retrofit projects.
Solar PV and battery storage are often best added after insulation and heating improvements have been made. This way, the system can be sized based on your reduced energy demand.
Doing one thing at a time without a plan can lead to wasted money. For example, installing a heat pump before improving insulation often means you end up with a larger, more expensive system than necessary.
Taking a whole-house view helps you prioritise work in the right order and get better long-term results.
Use our Combined Estimator to explore realistic options for improving your home’s energy performance.
Try the Combined Estimator