Access Retrofit Advice and Support

This service is available to people who live in the Combined Authority area, namely Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

Retrofit refers to any improvement work on an existing home or building to improve its energy efficiency, making it easier to heat, able to retain that heat for longer, and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. This is important because most of the UK's homes are quite old, which leads to wasted energy and 40% of our carbon emissions coming from buildings.

Retrofit West’s mission is to support homeowners across the West of England to accelerate the transition to low-carbon housing and building retrofit. Retrofitting is a crucial tool in the fight against climate change, and it has several benefits for the community, including reducing carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency, creating local jobs, and improving the health and well-being of residents. Cold homes are also bad for people’s physical and mental health. NICE, which provides evidence-based guidance for NHS and social care professionals, recognises that living in a cold home will make most health conditions worse – from childhood asthma to heart disease.

The climate and cost of living emergencies are key priorities for the Combined Authority. The Combined Authority is investing £10 million in retrofit to help address the challenges. The Retrofit West Advice service is the first project to be delivered from this funding. Other projects will build business confidence and green skills to ensure there are enough installers to meet retrofit demand.