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( quick answers you can use)

Are grants really worth the paperwork?

Yes. BUS cuts £ 7,500 from a heat pump install. That’ s a large delta in IRR and payback and is central to many landlord business cases today.

Will EPC rules change again?

Possibly – but the long-term direction is toward better-performing stock. Frameworks as value protection and risk reduction, not just rule-chasing. The PRS’ high share in fuel poverty keeps it in policymakers’ sights.

What order should installation work follow?

Fabric → ventilation → emitters / controls → heating system. This‘ fabric first’ approach ensures comfort and performance. Solar PV should be the only exception to a fabric first approach.

Do heat pumps work in old homes?

Yes – if designed correctly( heat loss, emitters, flow temps). Tenants care about comfort and cost; design quality is the differentiator.

Where can I send clients for planning and quotes?

Retrogreen for easy scenario-planning and costs across a property or portfolio( good for landlords to visualise options).

1 Portfolio strategy: Triage stock: Ready now( low-cost measures and quick EPC uplift), Plan and Phase( fabric now, heat pump later), and Deep retrofit or Dispose( properties where EPC uplift is costly or constrained).

1 Blended capex: Pair BUS(£ 7,500) with landlord capital and a modest top-up; the total monthly cost can be framed against fuel-bill reductions and improved rentability.

What to tell clients who ask,‘ should I wait?’

Policy timelines move, but physics and bills don’ t. Fabric improvements pay back through comfort and lower heat demand irrespective of politics. Heat pumps become easier once heat demand is reduced and emitters sized correctly; BUS support is significant right now. Advisers can confidently say: do no-regrets first, then decide on the heat system. If standards tighten later, your clients will be much closer to compliance; if they don’ t, your clients still have warmer homes that cost less to run.

How to get started in your brokerage

1. Add an energy section to your client fact-find: EPC, bills, comfort issues, heating age, windows / loft status.

2. Offer a retrofit pathway alongside the mortgage advice: A one-pager that sets out measures, order, budget, and grants. Seek help from someone like Retogreen.

3. Build a partner network: Reduce risk by using a‘ One-Stop Shop’ service like Retrogreen for retrofit planning, engaging pre-vetted and audited installers, bringing in ventilation specialists to safeguard indoor air quality and fabric, and appointment of a surveyor with expertise in energy-performance assessments.

4. Create two product flows: Owner-occupiers: comfort and cost focus; remortgage with green incentive. Landlords: rentability, void risk, asset value; portfolio triage and phased plan.

By making retrofit part of mainstream advice, you’ ll increase client stickiness, differentiate your proposition, and open up new reasons to talk to your book( especially landlords sitting on EPC D / E / F / G properties).

Closing thought

The exact policy dates may wax and wane, but the fundamentals are set: homes that are cheaper to heat, healthier to live in, and easier to finance will outperform. Advisers who help clients plan and fund that journey will be the ones clients call first.

Sources: 1. LILEE Low Income Low Energy Efficiency.

2. Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes( 2025) – Consultation Document / Response.

3. MEV Mechanical Extract Ventilation. 4. MVHR Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery. digitalbuildings. co. uk