In 1992, Claywatt’s dedicated social housing maintenance business launched its social housing retrofit service — an end-to-end, fully PAS 2035-compliant whole-house retrofit programme. This service helps social housing landlords meet government or local energy performance targets, aiming for all social housing to achieve an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating of C and above by 2030.

Now delivered under Claywatt Retrofit, the programme is designed to guide customers through every step of their retrofit journey — from initial planning to installation and ongoing monitoring. Our approach is collaborative, supporting customers with funding applications, ensuring compliance, selecting the most suitable energy efficiency measures, and guiding residents through essential works.

Zero carbon retrofit is the process of improving the energy efficiency of homes to meet government or local energy performance standards. Each property is assessed to determine its current Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating and to identify the measures required to achieve compliance.

These measures may include:

• Installing double or triple-glazed windows

• Adding internal or external wall insulation

• Fitting photovoltaic (solar) panels

• Installing air source heat pumps

The aim is to create energy-efficient, low-carbon homes that reduce energy costs, minimise environmental impact, and contribute to wider sustainability goals in both the UK and UAE.

Social housing providers across the country are required by law to bring all properties in their portfolio up to EPC level C by the year 2030. It is widely thought that this could cost the sector up to £104bn.

Industry experts estimate that the cost to retrofit an average social housing property in the UK to EPC Band C is approximately £20,742.

Costs may vary depending on property type, age, condition, and the specific energy efficiency measures required. Claywatt works closely with landlords and residents to plan cost-effective retrofit solutions that maximise energy savings, reduce carbon emissions, and ensure long-term sustainability.

For UAE projects, costs will differ based on local building regulations, climate considerations, and available technologies, but the same principles of energy efficiency and sustainable retrofitting apply.

The government offers a variety of funding routes for housing providers to support energy efficiency improvements. The Claywatt Retrofit team are experts in guiding customers through these options, helping them access funding from programmes such as:

• The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

• The Energy Company Obligation

• The Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery Scheme

• The Sustainable Warmth Competition

In the UAE, Claywatt can also advise on local sustainability incentives and energy efficiency schemes, ensuring that retrofit projects benefit from all available funding opportunities while meeting regional environmental targets.

When retrofitting is carried out effectively, properties can achieve significant improvements in energy performance. Typically, the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of retrofitted homes improves to at least EPC C, and in many cases, to EPC B, comfortably meeting government or local energy efficiency targets.

In addition to improved EPC ratings, retrofitting reduces energy consumption, lowers running costs, and contributes to long-term sustainability goals — whether in the UK or UAE.

Energy-efficient homes require less energy to heat and operate, which directly reduces household energy costs. For example, at a pilot project with a UK council, retrofitting measures resulted in an average reduction of £425 per household per year in fuel bills.

In both the UK and UAE, retrofitting can help households save money, improve comfort, and reduce reliance on energy, while supporting wider sustainability and carbon reduction goals.

Currently, Claywatt Retrofit is focused on social housing, where we have an established zero carbon retrofit programme. However, we plan to expand this offering across other sectors in the future. This could include retrofitting work in schools, hospitals, and commercial properties, where carbon reduction obligations also apply.

Further information on this wider rollout will be shared in due course.