Funded by UKERC, this project involved the development of a social relations approach to ‘retrofit’ – the installation of energy efficiency measures in buildings.
Households are a big emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for 26% of total UK emissions. In 2021, however, just 150,000 homes underwent energy efficiency upgrades (‘retrofit’) via Government schemes, e.g. ECO. The Leeds-led team found these national schemes fail because they privilege financial incentives and overlook place-based relational factors shaping household decision-making.鈥��
Using their research and building upon four years of collaboration with UK-wide partners, this Impact Acceleration Account project was co-designed with Leeds City Council and Otley Energy. These local stakeholders are now piloting a place-based ‘Retrofit Accelerator Hub’ shaped by the team’s ‘relational framework’.
By assessing the Hub’s impact, they produced outputs advising multiple beneficiaries on using a relational approach to retrofit. The impact pathway is significant, with national government (DESNZ), charities, local authorities, regional and national financial institutions, and place-based retrofit schemes (e.g. National Retrofit Hub) asking for our help in delivering this new approach to UK retrofit.鈥�
This project was funded by the 2023–2024.
Resources
Contacts
Partners
- Leeds City Council
- Otley Energy