Improving the UK’s housing stock is critical for cutting energy bills, reducing carbon emissions, and meeting long-term Net Zero targets. Yet current schemes like ECO4 have struggled to deliver consistent quality, leaving households and installers facing barriers instead of benefits.

“The Government should be focused on getting homes fixed, and replacing the failed ECO4 scheme with a well funded home upgrade program that delivers high quality work and guaranteed bill savings. We need a bigger investment in retrofit skills and quality control, not a budget cut that ends up in the pockets of the oil and gas giants.”

This reflects a core industry issue: without proper investment in skills, standards, and whole-house retrofit delivery, national programmes cannot achieve meaningful, measurable outcomes.

The Problem With ECO4

ECO4 has been slowed by complex eligibility rules, inconsistent quality assurance, and administrative bottlenecks. As a result, many households have not received the energy efficiency upgrades they were promised, and installers face unnecessary hurdles that limit delivery.

What a Successful Home Upgrade Programme Must Include

A modernised Home Upgrade Programme should be built around: 

• Fabric-first retrofit with verifiable energy savings

• PAS 2035 compliance and strong quality assurance

• Investment in installer skills, training and certification

• Clear pathways for coordinators, assessors and designers

• Support for SMEs and local retrofit supply chains

These are essential for delivering real carbon reduction and long-term bill savings.

Why Skills and Quality Matter

Technical retrofit requires trained professionals able to integrate insulation, ventilation, heating, and moisture management safely. Cutting budgets reduces capability and increases the risk of poor-quality installs—ultimately undermining public trust.

CPH Retrofit’s Commitment

CPH Retrofit delivers fully compliant, fabric-first solutions aligned with PAS 2035 and Whole House Retrofit best practice. We support higher industry standards, stronger skills investment, and a Government-backed programme that truly benefits households—not fossil fuel corporations.

The UK needs a Home Upgrade Programme that delivers quality, consistency, and guaranteed savings. With the right investment, this is achievable.