To successfully upgrade millions of homes under the UK's Warm Homes Plan, we need to change our approach to retrofit advice. A one-size-fits-all model - providing a simple list of measures and costs - simply doesn’t work. Every home The answer, policy-makers agree, is tailored advice. But what does that look like? And how is it delivered?
Tailored advice needs to be specific to the individual, their home, and their unique circumstances. This "tailored advice" empowers homeowners, reduces costs, and improves outcomes.
The Cotality team has over 20 years of experience providing tailored energy efficiency advice. Through our work, we've identified that effective advice must consider three key factors:
- Agency: A person’s ability to act and make choices. This means understanding if the person is a homeowner, a tenant, or a landlord, and if they face restrictions like planning or leasehold rules. Advice that doesn’t account for these factors is irrelevant and will only lead to frustration.
- Urgency: The time sensitivity and importance of the advice. Is the project ready to go, or is it for future planning? What is the customer's main driver—reducing bills, cutting carbon, or meeting new energy efficiency standards?
- Retrofit Literacy: A person's ability to understand and make informed decisions about home energy improvements, including building performance and potential risks.
By tailoring advice based on these factors, adapting content and the delivery channels, we make it more relevant and valuable for the customer.
The Importance of High-Quality Data
High-quality data is essential for effective retrofit advice, and its quality is determined by two main characteristics: source and resolution.
- Real vs. Synthetic Data: Real data is collected from a real event, while synthetic data is generated by algorithms. Synthetic data can fill gaps, but it must be continuously updated with high-quality real data to stay relevant.
- High vs. Low Resolution: High-resolution data provides more detail, leading to more accurate cost estimates and a wider range of retrofit options. While open EPC data is valuable, it is low-resolution and only available for about 60% of homes.
High-resolution, real data empowers homeowners with detailed plans and confident procurement, while low-resolution, synthetic data can only provide a vague, unreliable indication.
High resolution, synthetic data can support planning at scale or in early, engagement phases but low resolution, synthetic data is too vague and can be misleading or off-putting.
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The Path Forward
It's time to ask what advice should be provided when, rather than jump to the question of how it’s delivered. And differentiate between engagement and advice. In-person activity is valuable, and in some cases vital, to engagement, but it is expensive. Digital tools based on high-resolution synthetic or real data can support engagement by offering more advice and calls-to-action, and support an integrated journey to relevant services whether self- or grant-funded.
By implementing a thoughtful blend of digital innovation, human connection, and structural support, we can create a resilient and effective framework for the future of UK home retrofit.
To learn more about how Cotality can help you deliver effective, tailored retrofit advice, please visit our website.
