Building Centre hosts Retrofit 23 exhibition, showcasing the need for tangible action to UK housing stock
WEDNESDAY 3 MAY 2023, London, UK
Residential households account for just over a quarter of total emissions in the UK.1
- Amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, an estimated 13% of UK households already
face fuel poverty with figures expected to increase exponentially2 - Residential retrofitting is crucial to increase energy savings, improve energy efficiency
and meet the government’s 2050 net zero goals
On May 10th, the Building Centre is launching a new thought-provoking exhibition, Retrofit 23,to spotlight the challenges and benefits of the deep retrofit of residential buildings.
The exhibition is inspired by the urgent need to address residential retrofitting following the
government’s urgent commitment to reduce the UK’s energy demand by 15% by 2030, as well as the long-term goal of becoming a net zero economy by 2050.
Retrofit refers to the process of making alterations on an existing building to reduce emissions and enhance energy efficiency. This typically occurs through making buildings both easier to heat and able to retain heat for longer, as well as replacing fossil fuel sources with renewable energy.
Residential retrofitting aims to improve the efficiency of residential homes, and Retrofit23
opens as UK households have seen an exponential increase in energy prices. With electricity
prices having risen by up to 66%, and gas bills a staggering 130% between March 2022 –
2023, households are struggling to pay their bills amidst the nation’s continued cost-of-living
crisis. Retrofitting of homes is a smart and timely solution that can result in lower energy bills
as well as address wider issues such as climate change, people’s well-being through making
homes more energy efficient.
Alongside the social and economic imperative, making existing homes more sustainable
through retrofitting will be crucial for the construction industry – and UK government – to fulfil sustainability targets.
“The Retrofit 23 Exhibition aims to raise awareness within the industry, central and local government level and within the public on the importance of retrofit to individuals, their community and one of the key challenges of our time – the global climate crisis.”
Colin Tweedy, CEO, Building Centre
With Arup as its principal partner, ‘Retrofit 23’: Towards Deep Retrofit of Homes at Scale’ opens its doors to the public on May 10th.
The exhibition showcases examples of retrofit projects from homeowners and social housing
providers. Throughout the 5-month exhibition run, there will be weekly talks from leading
experts exploring how to tackle the huge challenge of retrofitting our existing housing stock at scale. Also featured is a retrofit product area, as well as videos and audio excerpts about reducing energy use and carbon emissions in retrofitting of homes
Find out more about Retrofit 23 here:
Retrofit 23 is proudly sponsored by:
Media and PR sponsors:
About the Building Centre: Founded in 1931, the Building Centre recently celebrated its 90th
year. Run by the Built Environment Trust, an independent charitable organisation dedicated to bringing together all professional disciplines, in order to inspire, support and engage people in the importance of the built environment.
For more information, please contact:
John Bonning, Commercial Director at the Building Centre – [email protected]
Kelly Willis, Communications Lead at the Building Centre – [email protected]
