More than 40 industry bodies have joined forces to create a new National Retrofit Hub to promote best practice in making the UK’s existing housing stock more energy efficient towards the country’s net-zero goals.

“The UK has the oldest and leakiest housing stock in Europe,” Lynne Sullivan, chair of the new body, told industry representatives at the launch, “The current energy crisis has shown that most of our existing homes are very expensive to heat because they are poorly insulated. There is now an urgent need to reduce energy consumption and the most effective way to do this is to make our existing homes more energy efficient by ensuring they are retrofitted, to a standard suitable for low carbon heating systems.

“The creation of the National Retrofit Hub is a means to bring clarity to those who work in the retrofit sector by signposting and sharing best practice to speed up the roll out of greener homes. Creating the Hub will cement links with the finance community and the skills providers to enable locally based delivery programmes to be scaled up and deliver significant economic and social benefits.”

Peter Caplehorn, chief executive of the Construction Products Association said: “A substantial amount has been written, published, debated and repeated about retrofit, with too little actual progress of robust quality on the ground. While increased fuel poverty and poor living conditions continue and the UK’s housing stock is still one of the least efficient in Europe it is hoped the Hub can bring a new focus and drive to reversing this situation.”

nationalretrofithub.org.uk

Previous articleIndustry ‘shouts about UK glass’ to MPs
Next articleDirect Trade Windows launches new website