Growing a culture of retrofit in Bath & North East Somerset
How BWCE is supporting local communities to make homes warmer, greener and more resilient.
Why home energy efficiency?
Improving home energy efficiency helps reduce bills, cut carbon emissions and create warmer, more comfortable homes.
In 2024 we launched our Home Energy service, taking a community focused approach to home energy efficiency. We offer independent expert advice, events and inspiration – with the aim of accelerating take up, and creating a culture, of ‘retrofit’ in our local area.
Supported by a range of grant funding and paid-for services, we’re helping householders navigate the many options for making their homes greener and more efficient. To date we’ve supported over 200 homes in our area.
Our current most popular survey: Heat Pump Assessments
Heating the UK’s 28 million homes accounts for nearly 20% of national greenhouse gas emissions. A heat pump can cut heating-related carbon emissions in a home by up to 80%, and lower its energy bills – but only if it’s planned properly.
That’s why we set up our Heat Pump Support project, to help both support development of the local supply chain, and also to help people in Bath & North East Somerset get quality, effective heat pump installations that are tailored to their needs.
Our popular Heat Pump Assessments provide independent advice that’s technology neutral, helping to create informed clients in this growing market. The assessments include:
A detailed heat loss calculation
Recommendations on heat pump size and placement
Guidance on any additional work needed like insulation or radiator upgrades
Optional advice on solar panels, batteries, electric vehicles and smart tariffs.
By focusing on what works best for each home, the aim is to help people feel confident in pursuing an installation and comparing installer quotes.
People are often surprised to find that a heat pump can be suitable for their home – perhaps it could be the next retrofit step for you?
Retrofit in listed buildings – yes you can!
Our Green Heritage Homes project, in partnership with Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) Council, Bath Preservation Trust and other local and national partners, aimed to inspire people about the possibilities for retrofit in listed buildings in our area.
One of the outcomes of this project has been our innovative Listed Building Energy Assessment & Planning Advice service, in which one of our expert home energy assessors will visit a listed home alongside a B&NES Council Conservation Officer, and advise on what energy efficiency upgrades are possible.
This service is the first of its kind in the country, and has helped pave the way for other local authorities to provide similar support.
An early recipient of this service has since gone on to install Bath’s first known heat pump installation in a historic listed home – proving that heat pumps can be a great measure for older homes, even when they are listed.
We recently brought the neighbours of this home together as part of our ‘Home Energy Neighbourhood’ project, to visit the heat pump installation and share other knowledge about retrofit in listed homes. The aim of this project is to support the uptake of home energy upgrades and for local people to inspire each other with what’s possible in homes similar to theirs.
Read the blog Learning from our neighbours: What’s possible in listed homes, and check out the range of great videos and factsheets on our website on retrofit in listed homes.
Make the most of the 70% discounts available
Our partnership with Retrofit West means that we can offer 70% discounts on all our energy surveys to households in Bath & North East Somerset.
As well as the surveys mentioned above, the 70% discounts are also available on our whole-house retrofit plans:
With different levels of detail, these options both take an overview of all opportunities in a home and include a bespoke report, costed plan and detailed next steps. The discount reduces the cost of a Home Energy Efficiency Plan for a 4-bedroom home from the standard £590 down to just £177.
These discounts, like our Free Home Visits below, are currently only confirmed until June this year, and we’re keen for as many local residents to benefit as possible while they last.
Start with an in-home visit – for free
For households at the beginning of their retrofit journey, we also offer Free Home Visits to help explore opportunities and identify next steps – in partnership with Retrofit West.
Friendly, tailored and low-pressure, these visits have supported 45 local homes so far. This is a great option for anyone who’s curious about their home’s potential, has concerns about the property, or feels unsure where to begin.
One resident in Newbridge, Bath has said: “It gave me great clarity and helped me work out the key issues to find my own path forward, without being preachy. I now feel more confident and empowered to take the right step for my home and family.”
This free advice service is offered for residents of Bath & North East Somerset, in partnership with Retrofit West, funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
What next for BWCE Home Energy?
We’ve got exciting plans on the horizon, including a Draught and Ventilation Survey pilot, the development of a Retrofit Project Management service, as well as provision of free ongoing coaching calls for survey recipients to help them progress with their retrofit journey.
Looking into the future the government’s recently launched Warm Homes Plan will hopefully provide further support for home energy efficiency, including low interest loans to help make accessing finance for improvement measures more accessible to all.
We’ll be working to make sure we can help residents make the most of these and other opportunities in order to maximise the benefits that home energy efficiency can bring to our local area.
If you’d like to find out more:
Email us at home.energy@bwce.coop to register interest or request a phone call
Sign up to our Home Energy newsletter to stay updated on the latest projects and opportunities.