BBC interviews Professor Mark Davis about the UK’s residential retrofit revolution
On 29 August, the BBC Morning Live show broadcast a feature from Leeds on how UK households could reduce their energy costs in ways that also help to decarbonise society.
As a part of the film, presenter Wayne Perrey – known as the TV Carpenter – interviewed Professor Mark Davis from the School of Sociology and Social Policy about the challenges and opportunities of domestic ‘retrofit’.
Professor Davis says:
The decarbonisation of our homes is critical if the UK is to reach its net-zero targets by 2050, especially because households account for 26% of total UK carbon emissions. This is a particularly challenging problem for the UK as it has some of the oldest and least energy efficient homes in Europe. More challenging still, around 80% of the homes that will exist in 2050 have already been built. So ‘retrofitting’ UK homes is essential.
‘Retrofitting’ means work to improve energy efficiency through the installation of loft or cavity wall insulation; solar panels; heat pumps or EV charging points.
In the BBC interview, Professor Davis draws upon findings from his recent research projects to explain a number of different retrofit schemes in and around Leeds as well as nationally, and outlined a range of grant schemes that are available to support households with cost.
But, while cost and climate awareness remain important, Professor Davis also explains how uneven access to trusted social networks who have the knowledge and skills to navigate the process act as barriers to those households who could ‘self-fund’ retrofit.
This research is already providing the basis for both policy and industry changes to reshape energy policy and the financial incentives of retrofitting homes to help decarbonise society by 2050, reflecting the School of Sociology’s commitment to using research to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing our communities today.
The film by BBC Morning Live can be seen via the iPlayer service (UK-only) by clicking on the episode from 29 August (clip starts at 43.40).
For more on Professor Davis’s research in this area, visit the new Leeds Relational Energy Group website.
