Retrofitting is the process of making changes to your property, such as installing heat pumps, solar panels, loft insulation, wall insulation, and more – all of which can help reduce your energy consumption and carbon emissions. It can help keep your energy bills down, make your home warmer in the winter, and cooler in the summer.
In Oxford, buildings are responsible for around 60% of carbon emissions, with 25% of total emissions coming from homes. One way we can reduce building emissions is by retrofitting.
In Oxford, there are a range of retrofitting projects taking place, from grants for homeowners and people on low incomes, to large-scale retrofitting projects from organisations and businesses. The map below shows a snapshot of what is happening:
- Air Source Heat pumps - Air source heat pumps work by transferring heat absorbed from the outside air to an indoor space through radiators.
- Ground Source Heat Pumps - ground source heat pumps work by transferring heat absorbed from the ground to an indoor space through radiators
- Solar Panels - Solar electricity panels, capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity that you can use in your home.
These can be further supported by implementing additional energy saving measures such as:
- Cavity wall insulation
- Solid wall insulation
- Floor insulation
- Roof and loft insulation
- Draft proofing
More information about measures can be found here.
How do I know what measures are suitable for my home?
There is no one-size fits all solution for retrofitting, and many factors need to be considered such as whether you own your home, the type of building, your budget, and your lifestyle.
Cosy Homes Oxfordshire has produced a helpful guide to help you figure out what measures may work for your home.
Their free online Plan Builder tool will show you the current energy performance of your home, and let you explore retrofit measures which you can tailor to suit your needs and budget. The planner takes a whole home approach, but can be used to look at the cost and benefit of individual measures.
The Centre for Sustainable Energy also has a useful step by step guide on what to consider when retrofitting your home.
Try out the free online Plan Builder tool here
Climate Action Oxfordshire
If you want to want to learn more information about how you can reduce your carbon footprint, Climate Action Oxfordshire has a range of advice and actions – both big and small – that you can take.
