Renovation measures to help improve energy efficiency and decarbonise homes can include loft and cavity wall insulation, heat pumps and solar PV.
This project has used a rapid evidence assessment of academic and grey literature to address the following research question:
Which internationally applied, good practice policies have the most potential to accelerate quality, energy efficiency retrofits of owner-occupied, ‘able to pay’ households in the UK?
The review highlights examples of national investment subsidies and ‘one stop shop’ schemes, aiming to support the customer retrofit journey and promote the use of accredited suppliers or products, which have led to a scaling up of interventions. It identifies various review studies on policy instruments which have been applied in different countries and are considered important for implementing residential energy renovation. These include regulations, financial support, information provision and initiatives to develop supply chains and workforce skills and competencies.
Key success factors are the design and implementation of policy instruments which are credible, stable, long-term and flexible. Policy packages or combinations of complementary policies are more effective than applying individual policy instruments alone.
From the review of international and UK evidence, a series of policy recommendations are made for an effective home energy retrofit policy in the UK.