What is Energy Retrofitting?
Key Components Explained
Energy retrofitting involves upgrading existing buildings to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and lower utility bills, while enhancing comfort and sustainability. This process is particularly important for older homes, which often fall short of modern energy standards, such as the UK’s EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) requirements.
At Ivynest, we make retrofitting seamless and straightforward by breaking it down into clear, actionable steps. First, we use advanced technology to explore multiple retrofit scenarios, identifying the most efficient and cost-effective option tailored to your property. Once the optimal plan is selected, we create a detailed, automated design that ensures every component—from insulation to heating systems—is perfectly integrated.
Next, we connect you with our trusted, vetted contractors, manage the scheduling and programming of the works, and provide accurate upfront costs. From start to finish, Ivynest streamlines the process, taking the complexity out of retrofitting so you can focus on enjoying a smarter, greener, and more cost-efficient home.
Key components of energy retrofitting include upgrading insulation to minimize heat loss, installing advanced heating systems like air-source heat pumps, incorporating renewable energy solutions such as solar panels, and replacing inefficient windows and doors. Together, these measures optimise energy performance, cut costs, and reduce environmental impact.
Victoria House, a charming yet energy-inefficient Victorian home in London, faced soaring energy bills and draughty winters, with an EPC rating of E. Ivynest stepped in with a tailored retrofit plan, addressing the home’s unique structure and challenges.
The retrofit included internal wall insulation on upper floors where the bedrooms were located, adding 300mm rockwool loft insulation, replacing windows with high-performance 1.4W/m²K double-glazed sash windows, and installing a 5kW Samsung EHS Monobloc R290 air-source heat pump alongside its hot water cylinder. Solar panels were also added, paired with an energy diverter for storing excess power in the hot water cylinder when not in use, further reducing reliance on the grid.
The transformation was remarkable: the homeowners saved £1,500 annually on energy bills, reduced their carbon emissions by 50%, and increased the property’s value by
£60,000, according to the latest Foxton’s valuation. Ivynest’s streamlined process— from initial design to contractor coordination—ensured the project was delivered on time, on budget, and without hassle.
To further enhance their energy efficiency, the homeowners are also set to install Ivynest’s proprietary Home Energy Management System (HEMS). This system is expected to optimize energy distribution and storage across appliances, detect unusual consumption patterns, and ensure timely servicing of equipment, reducing energy consumption by an additional 7-10%.
The project was made even more affordable through Ivynest’s partnerships with green finance providers and a £7,000 grant secured via the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
With Ivynest, retrofitting doesn’t just save energy—it transforms homes, making them smarter, greener, and more future-ready. Whether your goal is to cut costs, secure government funding, or meet regulatory standards, Ivynest is here to deliver.
Funding your Home Retrofit Project: Top government incentives and green finance
Undertaking an energy home retrofit can feel like a significant financial commitment, but a range of government incentives and green finance options can make the process more accessible and affordable. Here are some of the key funding opportunities available:
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)
This scheme offers grants of up to £7,500 to homeowners and small landlords replacing traditional heating systems with low-carbon alternatives like air-source or ground- source heat pumps. This initiative is designed to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and improve energy efficiency.
- Great British Insulation Scheme
Launched to tackle heat loss in homes, this program provides grants to upgrade insulation in walls, roofs, and floors. Targeted at homes with low energy performance and high heating costs, this scheme significantly reduces upfront costs for insulation projects.
- Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)
Under ECO4, energy suppliers are obligated to help low-income households fund energy efficiency improvements, such as insulation, heating upgrades, and renewable energy installations.
- Home Upgrade Grant (HUG)
Specifically aimed at off-gas-grid homes, the HUG provides funding to improve energy efficiency through measures like insulation, low-carbon heating, and windows replacement.
- Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund
Social housing providers can access funding to upgrade their properties to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, benefiting tenants and landlords alike.
- Green Finance with Selina
For homeowners looking beyond government grants, Ivynest has partnered with Selina Finance, a leading green finance provider. Their Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) product allows homeowners to unlock the value in their property to fund retrofittin projects. With flexible repayment options, this solution provides a practical and affordable way to achieve energy efficiency goals.
Why Choose Ivynest?
At Ivynest, we don’t just guide you through the retrofit process—we also simplify funding. Our team identifies the best grants you qualify for, ensures smooth applications, and connects you with trusted green finance providers like Selina. Together, we help make your retrofit project affordable, sustainable, and impactful.
Let us help you secure funding and unlock the full potential of your home with energy- efficient solutions tailored to your needs.
How Home Retrofitting Increases Property Value
Improving your property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating through home retrofitting doesn’t just lower energy bills—it also significantly enhances property value. With growing environmental awareness and stricter energy regulations, homes with better energy efficiency are commanding a premium in the UK market.
The Impact of EPC on Property Value
Higher Sale Prices: According to the UK Government and Nationwide Building Society, improving an EPC rating from G to C can increase property value by up to 10-14%. For example, a property valued at £300,000 could gain an additional £30,000 to £42,000 simply by improving its energy efficiency.
Urban Premium: Energy-efficient homes in urban areas, where energy costs and buyer awareness are higher, tend to see even greater increases in value.
Rental Yield Benefits: Tenants are willing to pay a premium for properties with lower utility bills, further increasing the attractiveness of retrofitted homes.
Why Buyers Care About EPC Ratings
Lower Running Costs: Energy-efficient homes cost less to heat and power, making them more desirable to cost-conscious buyers.
Future-Proofing Against Regulations: With upcoming regulations requiring rental properties to achieve EPC C or higher by 2030, energy-efficient homes are more compliant and appealing to investors.
Environmental Awareness: Buyers increasingly prioritize properties with lower carbon footprints, making retrofitted homes more competitive in the market.
A New Investment Trend: Energy Flipping
An emerging trend in the real estate market highlights the financial potential of “energy flipping”—investing in inefficient, high-energy properties (“brown properties”) and transforming them into energy-efficient, modern homes (“green properties”). This Bloomberg article explores this growing phenomenon. It highlights how savvy investors are generating higher returns by upgrading homes to meet energy standards and market demand. This means you’re making the right choice by investing in your property’s efficiency today.
At Ivynest, we’ve mirrored these successes through projects like 15 Thronton Road in London, where our comprehensive retrofit approach elevated both energy performance and property value by £60,000.
How Ivynest Can Help
At Ivynest, we make retrofitting simple, effective, and tailored to your property’s needs. By improving your home’s energy efficiency, we not only help you lower your bills but also enhance its market value. Our platform provides comprehensive retrofit plans, connects you with trusted contractors, and ensures you access available grants, including green finance partnerships, to maximize your return on investment.
Whether you’re a homeowner or an investor, retrofitting isn’t just about energy savings— it’s about unlocking the full potential of your property. Let Ivynest guide you toward a smarter, greener, and more valuable home.
DIY vs Professional Home Retrofitting:
When it comes to energy home retrofitting, choosing the right approach is crucial for long- term efficiency and savings. While DIY retrofitting might seem cost-effective at first glance, it often leads to overspending and underperformance due to a lack of holistic planning. Addressing issues in isolation—such as upgrading heating systems without optimizing fabric efficiency—can create inefficiencies and fail to deliver meaningful energy savings.
Ivynest takes the guesswork out of retrofitting by providing a comprehensive, whole- house approach. Our advanced platform runs energy retrofit scenarios tailored to your property, ensuring that every element—insulation, heating systems, and renewable energy solutions—works together seamlessly. We not only design the optimal plan but also provide detailed costings, CAPEX projections, and ROI calculations to give you confidence in your investment.
Unlike managing subcontractors yourself, which can be time-consuming and risky, Ivynest offers a vetted network of contractors audited regularly for quality assurance. Through our Tier 1 contracts and support, you maintain full control over your retrofit, ensuring the work is completed to the highest standards.
Ivynest simplifies the entire process—designing, costing, procuring, contracting, and project managing—all under one roof, so you don’t need to juggle multiple stakeholders. And for added peace of mind, our SAP assessment guarantees that your project will meet its predicted EPC improvement.
Soon, Ivynest will revolutionise energy home retrofitting further with our groundbreaking Home Energy Management System (HEMS). This innovative tool will monitor energy consumption, detect unusual patterns, and ensure your retrofit delivers on its promises. With Ivynest, you can trust that your retrofit will not only meet but exceed your expectations.
The future of energy efficiency in homes
Understanding EPC ratings: towards 2030
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings measure the energy efficiency of buildings in the UK, categorising properties from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). With approximately 14 million UK homes currently below EPC C, achieving this benchmark has become a critical goal. The UK government has mandated that all rental properties must achieve an EPC C rating by 2030, where practical, cost-effective, and affordable. This regulation is part of the drive to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy efficiency across the housing sector.
Why EPC C matters?
Improving your property’s EPC rating offers both financial and environmental benefits. According to research, making energy-saving improvements can increase property values by 14% on average, with some areas seeing boosts of up to 38%. These enhancements not only make homes more attractive to buyers and renters but also significantly lower energy bills, making them a worthwhile investment.
The Timeline to EPC C
- 2025: Expected finalisation of regulations for minimum EPC requirements.
- 2028: New build homes to adhere to stricter Future Homes Standards.
- 2030: All rental properties must achieve EPC C or higher, with further regulations potentially extending to owner-occupied homes.
How Ivynest Can Help
At Ivynest, we understand the complexities of upgrading to EPC C. We provide:
- Tailored Home Retrofit Plans: Our holistic designs optimise insulation, heating, and renewable energy systems to deliver cost-effective solutions.
- Contractor Network: We connect you with vetted contractors, ensuring quality workmanship and transparent pricing.
- Access to Grants and Finance: We simplify the process of leveraging government incentives like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to make retrofits more affordable
The Opportunity
The UK housing market is evolving toward sustainability, and energy efficiency is becoming a defining factor in property values. Upgrading to EPC C not only ensures compliance with regulations but also future-proofs your property, reduces running costs, and contributes to environmental goals. Let Ivynest guide you through this transformation, making the journey seamless, cost-effective, and impactful.
Time is ticking—start your energy retrofit journey today to stay ahead of regulations and maximise your property’s potential.
Emerging technologies for sustainable homes
NestIO: our proprietary HEMS
At the heart of Ivynest’s innovation is our proprietary Home Energy Management System (HEMS), designed to ensure energy retrofits deliver on their promises. Our HEMS optimizes energy use by managing tariffs, storing energy during off-peak times, and distributing it efficiently across your home. It also identifies unusual consumption patterns, alerts you to potential system inefficiencies, and ensures regular maintenance for peak performance. With Ivynest’s HEMS, homeowners can achieve up to an additional 10% reduction in energy consumption, unlocking smarter living and long- term sustainability.
Combined solar thermal and PV
Innovative solutions like VirtuHOT PVT combine solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies into a single panel, maximizing energy generation per square meter. These panels simultaneously produce electricity and heat, making them an ideal choice for retrofitting homes with limited roof space. By integrating both functions, VirtuHOT PVT systems offer improved efficiency, reduced reliance on the grid, and a quicker return on investment, aligning perfectly with Ivynest’s holistic energy retrofit approach.
High-Temperature Heat Pumps and R290 Gas
Heat pumps transfer heat from the air or ground into your home instead of generating it, achieving a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of up to 4. This means they produce four units of heat for every unit of electricity, making them up to 400% efficient, cutting energy costs and emissions significantly.
One of the most significant advancements in energy retrofitting is the emergence of high-temperature heat pumps that use R290 refrigerant gas. These innovations offer groundbreaking improvements in efficiency, sustainability, and practicality for retrofitting existing homes.
High-temperature heat pumps now achieve operational temperatures of up to 75°C, a critical breakthrough for energy retrofits. Unlike traditional heat pumps, which operate at lower temperatures, these systems are ideal for older homes with existing radiator systems. With high-temperature output, there is no need to replace or upsize radiators, drastically reducing retrofit costs and complexity.
Additionally, the use of R290 refrigerant—a natural hydrocarbon—ensures a lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) compared to earlier refrigerants. This aligns with global sustainability goals while providing homeowners with a greener heating solution.
These innovations make heat pump technology not only more accessible but also more tailored to the unique challenges of retrofitting older homes, reinforcing the move toward a more energy-efficient future. Ivynest integrates these emerging technologies into our retrofit solutions, ensuring our clients benefit from cutting-edge, cost-effective, and sustainable systems.
Smart home management systems: how they save energy and costs.
Ivynest’s proprietary Home Energy Management System (HEMS) transforms the way your home consumes and manages energy, ensuring your home retrofit delivers on its promises. Leveraging advanced analytics, automation, and real-time monitoring, our HEMS ensures your home operates at peak efficiency while delivering tangible cost savings. Here’s how it works:
Detecting Unusual Consumption Patterns
Our HEMS continuously monitors your appliances and energy systems, flagging anomalies that could lead to inefficiencies or increased costs. For instance:
- Defrosting Fridge Example: A poorly functioning fridge may enter frequent defrost cycles, consuming 150 kWh more energy annually—equivalent to an extra £50 on your bill. HEMS identifies this unusual pattern and alerts you to address it.
- MVHR Filter Alerts: Dirty filters in a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) system can reduce efficiency by up to 30%. HEMS prompts you to change filters, ensuring optimal performance and indoor air quality.
Energy Storage and Optimisation
Our HEMS is designed to capitalise on time-of-use tariffs, storing energy during off-peak hours when prices are lowest and releasing it during peak times.
Example Calculation:
- Ofl-Peak Storage: Storing 10 kWh of energy overnight at £0.10/kWh = £1.00.
Peak Usage: Using this stored energy during peak hours (typically £0.35/kWh) saves
£3.50. - Net Savings: £2.50/day or £75/month—just by optimizing energy storage and use.
Intelligent Energy Distribution
HEMS ensures that stored energy is distributed efficiently across your home. For example, during peak evening hours, the system may prioritize running essential appliances (e.g., lighting, heating) while delaying non-essential ones (e.g., laundry).
Maintenance Reminders
Regular maintenance is critical to energy system efficiency. HEMS tracks appliance and system performance, sending reminders for tasks like servicing heat pumps or replacing solar inverter components, ensuring long-term reliability.
Integration with Renewable Energy
HEMS seamlessly integrates with renewable energy systems like solar PV and battery storage, maximizing self-consumption and minimizing reliance on the grid. For example:
Solar energy generated during the day can be stored and used at night, cutting reliance on grid energy by up to 70%.
The Result: Smarter, Greener Living
With Ivynest’s HEMS, you gain control over your home’s energy ecosystem. From cost- saving optimizations to maintaining system health, our cutting-edge technology ensures your retrofit delivers maximum efficiency, comfort, and sustainability. It’s not just about reducing energy consumption—it’s about empowering you to live smarter.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings measure the energy efficiency of buildings in the UK, categorising properties from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). With approximately 14 million UK homes currently below EPC C, achieving this benchmark has become a critical goal. The UK government has mandated that all rental properties must achieve an EPC C rating by 2030, where practical, cost-effective, and affordable. This regulation is part of the drive to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy efficiency across the housing sector.
