Despite becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of home energy efficiency, many consumers are discouraged by myths and misconceptions. Nicola Kennedy, CEO of Heero Technologies, looks at technology’s role in debunking misinformation.

According to recent research by Halifax, 39% of UK homeowners consider improving the energy efficiency of their property an important priority. However, many are so confused by the advice and information available – much of which isn’t necessarily impartial or even accurate, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish between myth and reality – that they fail to act.

Key issues perpetuated by myths and misconceptions are that retrofitting carries impractically high costs, that it causes significant disruption, and that many properties don’t need to be upgraded.

In fact, nearly half of the consumers surveyed as part of Halifax’s research stated cost as the biggest barrier to making energy efficiency improvements. Research by Barclays had similar results; it found that besides cost, the perceived inconvenience of installing energy efficiency-related modifications is preventing homeowners from making upgrades to their homes. In terms of which properties could benefit, Halifax found that 40% of consumers have ‘no idea’ how energy efficient their homes currently are.

Dispelling myths through education

A key factor in the battle between myth and reality is a lack of consumer awareness and understanding, especially in terms of the potential benefits and cost-savings associated with home energy efficiency practices. As such, the best way to dispel myths and misconceptions is to educate and empower consumers by providing them with tailored and consistent advice on both the practicalities and benefits of embracing energy efficient home improvements.

Installers have a vital role to play in making homeowners aware of their options and driving the adoption of energy efficiency measures across the country. However, thanks to technology, they do not have to take on this enormous task alone.

One solution available to installers is a software application designed to streamline the user experience and guide homeowners through the entire home retrofit journey. Developed by Heero Technologies, it enables installers to offer their customers bespoke home energy insights and recommendations in an easy-to-understand way. By removing complexity, consumers are empowered to make decisions that will help them save money on energy bills, increase the value of their homes, and that will have a positive impact on the environment.

Heero Technologies’ App can help incite action when faced with hesitant, ignorant or mis-informed homeowners, as it accurately shows which property-specific energy efficiency measures can produce the biggest gains, what the cost of installation is, as well as what savings can be realised if the suggested improvements are implemented. Additionally, it provides valuable information on the financing and available grants.

The app is designed to enable installers to reach a larger audience, scaling up as needs change and business evolves. With all the required elements built into the platform, including taking care of the initial assessment, installers can use the technology to offer their customers a wide range of energy-saving options tailored to each property.

Further benefits to using the app include lead generation, a built-in compliance service, inbound and outbound customer communications, instant booking capability, using the app for surveys or as a marketing tool, and arranging financing for ATP customers.

An industry game-changer

When it comes to energy efficiency, retrofitting and decarbonisation, the reality is that while some measures may be more costly than others, there are a host of cost-effective and minimally disruptive options available today – the advent of innovative technology means that retrofitting is becoming a more streamlined and less intrusive process. There are also several solutions available to help cover the costs, from green mortgages to government grants and financing.

Additionally, considering that the UK has the most inefficient, highest energy bills, energy-hungry, and wasteful properties in Europe, there are very few houses in the UK that wouldn’t benefit from some form of retrofit.

Ultimately, improving domestic energy efficiency and decarbonisation is not only mission-critical to delivering on the UK’s net zero commitments, but also offers financial, environmental and lifestyle benefits. As such, installers need to focus on educating consumers, debunking myths and shaping their attitudes towards retrofitting by providing accessible, understandable, and actionable information. Technology can help them achieve this.

For more information, visit www.heerotechnologies.com

Landlords and property developers can now access a free course from the UK’s leading retrofit knowledge and skills provider to kickstart their career in retrofit.

The new online course, Retrofit 101, has been curated and designed by The Retrofit Academy to provide anyone wanting to learn about the fundamentals of what domestic retrofit involves and why it is important in driving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

Aiming to bolster understanding of retrofit for property professionals and work they may already be doing to improve energy efficiency in buildings, the course is designed to unlock the potential for professionals to go on to progress into further retrofit qualifications as they develop their career in the area.

As government policy and funding for decarbonising homes and buildings continues to grow, the workforce required to deliver high-quality retrofit at scale must be quickly developed to meet growing demand. The organisation has launched the Retrofit 101 course to give more people than ever before chance to understand the process of retrofit, why domestic retrofit is needed, learn about what goes into retrofit advice and understand the retrofit career paths that are available for people.

The new course joins a raft of leading accredited courses developed and delivered by The Retrofit Academy since 2016, equipping learners to take on PAS 2035 roles such as Retrofit Coordinator, Assessor and Advisor. Having already enrolled over 4,000 retrofit professionals and 7,000 learners, the organisation has designed the course to encourage many more to consider earning their qualifications and capitalising on the raft of career opportunities emerging.

David Pierpoint, CEO and founder of The Retrofit Academy, said: “We have been developing and delivering accredited retrofit training courses since 2016 and have unlocked careers for thousands of individuals already. To create the workforce needed to decarbonise all homes in the UK, however, we must go further. With that in mind, we’ve developed our free introductory course with the aim of sharing our wealth of retrofit knowledge with as many people as possible, which we hope will make the world of retrofit even more attractive to a broader talent pool.

“Whether an individual is eager to unlock a new career in the built environment, or a company is looking to upskill its team in energy efficiency considerations, Retrofit 101 provides a fundamental starting point to launch into the sector. From here, there is the opportunity to take on more of the leading qualifications from The Retrofit Academy and take on the thousands of roles opening up to deliver large-scale, high quality retrofit across the UK.”

To try out Retrofit 101 for yourself and kickstart your retrofit journey with The Retrofit Academy, click here.