Rethinking retrofit: relational insights for the design of residential energy efficiency policy

The ‘retrofit’ of energy efficiency, low carbon heating and renewable microgeneration measures in homes is a major focus for energy and climate policy. Yet despite policy interventions, few countries are achieving their residential decarbonisation targets. In this paper we argue that a core reason for this failure is the mainstream ‘rational actor’ framing of households, which guides energy efficiency policymaking. We introduce an alternative ‘relational’ framing to re-examine the assumptions surrounding the retrofit ‘customer journey’ and the accompanying policy framework. In doing so, the study draws on three United Kingdom (UK) case studies, exploring the customer journey of households self-funding renovations and retrofit, via (n = 30) semi-structured interviews. We argue that by paying attention to relational dynamics, we can better design policies that work with the grain of existing household practices and social relations. This includes: 1) Leveraging existing entry points such as when renovating or moving home 2) Aligning with how households currently seek advice and procure renovation services 3) Developing solutions which factor broader motivations than simply cost savings 4) Designing inclusive and long-term financing models and 5) Building trusted ongoing relationships between contractors and communities. Consequently, we argue a paradigm shift in retrofit policymaking towards a relational approach is now required.