Partnerships and collaboration
What’s the economic value of retrofit?
Retrofit is a fundamental tool in tackling the climate emergency. However, we believe it also has the power to create strong, sustainable local economies, post COVID-19.
So, what are the main economic benefits of retrofit?
Green jobs: retrofit has huge economic potential to create wide-spread employment
Support SMEs: retrofit offers a wealth of opportunities for small, local businesses
Cut energy bills: retrofit can reduce energy costs and tackle fuel poverty
Community development: retrofit can build the resources of local communities
“People Powered Retrofit is community wealth building in action. There is strong economic development potential in the way we do retrofit. It should be at the heart of post-COVID recovery strategies in local economies.”
Partner with People Powered Retrofit
Knowledge sharing
We've had exceptional demand for our service and now want to inspire and collaborate with other social enterprises, not-for-profits and local authorities in the UK and Europe to increase access to retrofit.
With our service design know-how, technical expertise and extensive industry insight, we work with a variety of organisations to develop retrofit services across the UK and beyond. We can support social enterprises, local and combined authorities and community organisations with a range of business model replication services.
Get in touch if you're interested in:
• Replicating the People Powered Retrofit business model in your region
• Accessing and implementing our Home Retrofit Planner assessment software
• Learning about community-based social marketing
Or something else!
What can local government do to advance retrofit?
We believe that local authorities must do everything they can to:
Harness procurement: anchor organisations must lead by example, for instance by investing in social housing retrofit. They should use their public spending power to increase demand in retrofit and open up contracts to SMEs and local suppliers.
Develop skills: local authorities must create retrofit apprenticeships and ‘on the job’ training programmes.
Create business support: by ‘animating’ new forms of supply, for example bringing contractors into co-operatives, councils can support the supply chain.
Use planning and building control: local government can embed retrofit in regeneration and development policies, for instance via Energy Neighbourhood Master Plans. Local authorities can also work with local building control officers and planning officers to upskill in retrofit, so they can support the delivery of quality work.
Explore financing models: looking at a range of alternative ways to finance retrofit is crucial. Community financing, mutual credit, municipal vehicles, zero interest lending and council tax credits are all options.