The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched its guide for retrofitting homes.
The free 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)
Production of the consumer guide was overseen by the RICS Residential Professional Property Group Panel (RPPGP), a panel of diverse built environment professionals from across the industry, alongside key contributions from Professor Richard Fitton of the University of Salford.
Emma Fletcher MRICS, Chair of the RICS Residential Professional Property Group Panel (RPPGP), said: “As Chair of the RICS RPPGP, I am delighted to support RICS in producing this consumer guide, to assist everyone who owns or occupies a home.
“This guide was prepared by surveying professionals who, whilst having a deep understanding of the technology and data, have managed to translate their learning into simple measures on how to occupy our homes more efficiently, alongside helpful signposting to where guidance and funding may be available. The need for retrofit is evolving quickly and this guide is one to bookmark as this sector continues to mature.“
