Improving urban homes
Transforming lives by transforming our buildings
Everyone deserves a warm, safe home that they can afford to run. Yet many households across London still struggle with high energy costs and inefficient homes. That’s why Repowering London is expanding its work to include low-carbon heating and energy efficiency improvements through a new service: Repowering Homes.
Repowering Homes brings home energy upgrade solutions – often referred to as retrofit – that make homes more comfortable, reduce energy bills, and help decarbonise London’s buildings.
Unlocking retrofit for blocks of flats
Nearly half of London households live in flats, yet most retrofit advice focuses on people living in houses.
Repowering London is addressing this gap with an innovative retrofit feasibility service for blocks of flats. The service supports landlords, freeholders, leaseholders, residents and managing agents. We help them understand the most effective ways to improve their buildings, which include technical feasibility, financial viability, social considerations and legal requirements.
But importantly, we bring residents along on the journey, helping them understand the technologies available to them and the benefits of retrofitting. Learn more about this service.
We are currently recruiting blocks of flats to take part in the programme – find out how your block could take part.
Development of the service
Over the past three years, we have developed this service and six blocks of flats have taken part. The Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme provided funding for the programme.
The pilot programme was delivered in partnership with the Confederation of Cooperative Housing and Future Climate.
Supporting householders
We are currently developing a new offer for that aligns with the UK Government’s Warm Homes Plan.
This service will help London residents access practical support, advice, and funding to help them make home energy improvements.
Watch this space for more information as we develop the service.
Repowered Community Newham
In the London Borough of Newham, as part of our Repowered Community Newham project, we are already supporting residents by:
- Providing energy efficiency advice in local communities
- Connecting people with existing grants and support schemes
- Developing a new home energy improvement package tailored to residents
Our aim is to make it easier for households to understand their options and take action.
Our experience delivering retrofit
Repowering London and South East London Community Energy (Selce) recently worked together to deliver retrofit at scale and create homes that are fit for the future.
Together, we pioneered a community-led approach to improving the UK’s housing stock, helping residents make their homes fit for the future.
Our approach focuses on:
- Making retrofit easy to understand
- Providing end-to-end project coordination
- Supporting all types of households
- Taking a neighbourhood-based approach where we supported communities on the retrofit journey together
By placing residents at the centre of the process, we help communities move confidently through complex retrofit projects.
We are developing this model into an ongoing service that can operate across London – and eventually be adopted by community energy groups across the UK.
Our partnerships and local authority projects
Repowering London has a long history of working with local authorities, universities, community organisations, and industry experts to deliver projects that support communities, accelerate the transition to clean energy and increase building energy efficiency and comfort.
We work across London with active and planned projects in Camden, Hackney, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Westminster.
See examples of some of our projects below.
Examples of our projects:
Heat Network Project – Newham
Developing a community-owned, low-carbon heat network in partnership with London South Bank University (technical feasibility and design), Dark Matter Labs (governance and legal structure), Community Energy Newham (community partner), and London Borough of Newham (strategic partner).
Lambeth Landlord Retrofit Cafe
In partnership with London South Bank University and Lambeth Council, we hosted a free drop-in event for private landlords in Lambeth to receive advice on retrofit and policy changes affecting rental properties.
Possible Research Project
Working with the climate action charity Possible, we are exploring the barriers within the ECO4 retrofit programme by engaging with householders, landlords, installers, and energy companies. The research produced recommendations to improve outcomes for householders and support the development of future schemes.
Westminster Repowered Community
Funded by Westminster City Council’s Carbon Offset Fund, this project establishes a second Repowered Community programme to develop a cleaner, local and affordable energy future for the community. Part of this project includes retrofit services for blocks of flats, and energy advice and support.
Blocks of Flats Retrofit Toolkit
Developed with the Greater London Authority and Future Climate, with funding from the MCS Foundation, the Blocks of Flats Retrofit Toolkit helps landlords, building managers, leaseholders and retrofit professionals better understand how to boost the energy performance of residential buildings.
Retrofit Ambassador Programme
Developed in collaboration with University of East London, Architects Climate Action Network and Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability, the programme will empower residents to engage their friends, family and wider community with the often complex topic of retrofit. It explores topics including why it matters and how it works, to understanding local support pathways.
Neighbourhood Retrofit Pilot – Newham
Launching in 2027, this pilot will support residents in Newham to retrofit their homes together as part of a neighbourhood-based approach through a more supportive approach in accessing information and advice on home energy efficiency upgrades.
Want to talk?
To explore your options for urban retrofit with a member of our team, just click here.