Loco Home Retrofit CIC provides advice to homeowners who want to make their homes more comfortable while also moving towards net zero.

Having learned a great deal about the motivations and challenges for homeowners, it is now inviting householders, local tradespeople and professionals to join the co-operative and influence the next stage of its development.

In a blog on the organisation’s website, director Chris Carus said: “The UK is the world’s fifth-largest contributor to climate change and, in Glasgow, heat and energy for homes account for 31% of reported emissions. If runaway climate change is to be avoided, then these emissions must be brought close to zero within the next 10 to 15 years. That’s about 80 retrofits per day across Glasgow starting today. However, action by the UK and Scottish governments to reduce emissions is developing slowly and there is an urgent need to build retrofit skills and capacity. Grassroots action can reach places the government can’t, while also building the necessary public support for bold government intervention.

“Most emissions from homes in Glasgow are from gas boilers. Eliminating these emissions will be achieved through a combination of energy efficiency such as insulation and replacing gas boilers with renewable alternatives such as heat pumps. To retrospectively fit these improvements to existing properties can be challenging, especially for home owners. Retrofit can often be complex, risky, expensive and disruptive. However, this needn’t be the case. Through our research, we have found that many households have the intent and the opportunity for retrofit but just need some help to get started. Loco Home Retrofit aims to provide that support.”