Green Retrofitting

Green retrofitting involves making changes that benefit both the property and the environment. These changes are designed to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, improve comfort, and increase the value and desirability of the property.

These changes might include lighting, glazing, insulation, heat pumps, underfloor heating, heating control, home-generated renewable energy, and energy storage and distribution.

Retrogreen

The Society has partnered with Retrogreen to help our existing mortgage holders get a better understanding of their property’s energy efficiency. This will enable members to consider the steps they might take to improve it, to reduce energy consumption and to improve the property’s EPC rating.

Some of those steps may be simple, low cost, and easy to do without outside help. Other steps might require a ‘green retrofitting’ project, including management of the project and financing.

The aim of the Society’s partnership with Retrogreen is to help overcome the barrier of affordability. We aim to support members to cover the cost of green retrofitting through a lower-rate Green Mortgage, which could include covering all service costs (subject to Loan-to-Value limits).

A young couple at a house viewing discussing the state of the home.

Who are Retrogreen?

Retrogreen is a TrustMark Registered Business. Their service is designed to help you understand your property’s energy efficiency, EPC rating, and carbon emissions.

If you choose to undertake a green retrofitting project, Retrogreen can support you with a comprehensive project management service. This includes assessing, planning, and helping you choose a TrustMark accredited contractor. All aspects of their service are backed by the government endorsed TrustMark quality scheme.

Visit Retrogreen

What is the first step?

The first step is to use the Retrogreen app. Access to the app is free for Society members. By adding details of your property, it will create a digital replica of your property. This will help you to see how different options could improve its energy efficiency. See below for more details.

Retrogreen App

The free Retrogreen app lets you create a digital replica of your property. It’s a web-based app, so there’s nothing to download. The app helps you to see what steps you could take to improve your home’s energy efficiency, and its EPC rating. Some of those suggestions may be simple things that you don’t need further help with. However, Society members can take advantage of a free 30-minute online consultation to discuss the more complex options that the app suggests. The free consultation will help you decide if you wish to take the process further. The next step would be to create a Retrofit Plan, which involves a home visit by a qualified assessor.

Retrofit Plan

A qualified assessor would survey your property, and help you design a Retrofit Plan. The plan is based on your desired outcome(s), with these three areas of focus in mind: To reduce your energy costs; To improve your property’s EPC rating; To replace outdated equipment and infrastructure. Following the survey, Retrogreen provide you with a home improvement report. A consultant will discuss its recommendations with you. Once agreed, Retrogreen can help you obtain quotes for the work from its selection of approved TrustMark registered contractors. Retrogreen charges fees for its services. The Society aims to help members by financing the project through a lower-rate Green Mortgage.

Project Management

When managing a project, Retrogreen are with you all the way, coordinating every stage with your chosen contractor. They make sure that all work is carried out to the high standards required of TrustMark registered contractors. Upon completion of the work, they perform an assessment to make sure everything specified in the Retrofit Plan has been carried out and any identified faults corrected. Finally, Retrogreen provide an end-of-project report, and provide a new EPC certificate. As part of their ongoing service, Retrogreen will monitor post-project energy consumption for 12 months at no extra cost. Reports from this will compare the property’s energy efficiency before and after the project, and against the projected outcomes of the project.

Terms and conditions

The purpose of this communication is to inform you of a free service available to certain Hinckley & Rugby customers to assist you in understanding the opportunities and costs of retrofitting your home. Should this be of interest to you, by using this free tool, you are under no obligation to proceed with the services provided by Hinckley & Rugby Building Society or Digital Buildings Limited. However, should you wish to proceed, Hinckley & Rugby Building Society will pay Digital Buildings Limited a fee of £205 upon the completion of any agreement. This is in addition to any fees payable to you for their services. The agreement you enter with Hinckley & Rugby Building Society is exclusively for the purpose of additional borrowing and makes no representations on the products and services provided by Digital Building Limited, or the quality of the work provided, and any supplementary agreements between Digital Building Limited and a chosen contractor will be distinct and independent.