A shift in emphasis in the government’s energy efficiency strategy was widely noted when the Warm Homes Plan was published in January.
The plan’s intentions, outlined in its Ministerial foreword, are clear:
“The Warm Homes Plan takes the next step – delivering the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history to cut bills and tackle fuel poverty.”
But there was also a clear direction of travel towards greater emphasis on clean energy technologies – solar PV, battery storage and heat pumps – spelled out in the government’s ‘Vision for UK Homes’:
“To make the nation’s homes fit for the future, the government will prioritise rooftop solar, clean heating, energy storage, and flexibility in our investment programmes, alongside fabric and adaptation measures.” (Chapter 2, Page 24)
Why the shift matters
The support for new technologies (particularly British manufactured ones) is exciting and opens up many opportunities for more innovative approaches to upgrading homes. But the focus on low-carbon heating and renewables can also unintentionally take attention away from fabric improvement measures, which remain critical for much of our social housing stock. The reality is that we need a balance of both.
Some benefits of fabric-first retrofits include:
• Durable improvements: Solid wall insulation and other fabric upgrades often last the lifespan of the building, unlike renewable technologies that require regular maintenance.
• Reduced heat demand: Proper insulation lowers energy demand, enabling smaller, lower-cost heat pumps or other low-carbon heating systems.
• Standards alignment: A fabric-first approach strongly supports compliance with PAS 2035 and best practice guidance. While it does not guarantee compliance, it provides a structured, risk-managed foundation that simplifies meeting retrofit standards.
Lessons from past insulation projects
To a degree, the shift in emphasis also reflects a crisis of confidence.
The October 2025 report by the National Audit Office into ECO-funded insulation programmes highlighted widespread issues:
• 98% of homes with external wall insulation required remedial work to correct major defects.
• Between 9,000 and 13,000 homes with internal insulation (around 29% of the total) had significant issues, including some posing immediate health and safety risks.
The NAO identified the following contributory factors:
All of this underscores the need for a clear chain of command with specialist supervision, which is precisely what frameworks provide.
How LHC’s N9 Framework operates:
The LHC Retrofit and Decarbonisation (N9) framework delivers six workstreams, each supporting a stage in the retrofit process.
Workstream 3 - Building Insulation covers:
• Internal, loft, and cavity wall insulation.
• External wall insulation up to 11m (with separate arrangements for taller buildings).
• Rainscreen cladding.
How LHC’s framework approach helps social landlords avoid the pitfalls outlined by the NAO:
• Technical support: Clients receive ongoing project support including specification advice, guidance on price verifications and engagement at pre-start meetings and regular project meetings.
• Procurement rigour: Contractors are selected through a transparent, legally compliant process in line with the Procurement Act 2023.
• Framework terms: Frameworks set out specifications, quality, price, and quantity under which individual contracts (call-offs) are awarded. Frameworks typically operate for a defined term of four to eight years, depending on the legislation under which they are established.
• Competitive appointment: Suppliers compete for framework inclusion through open competition, after which publicly funded contracting authorities call off individual contracts.
The rigour applied to running Gold Standard frameworks such as LHC’s N9 Retrofit and Decarbonisation – with LHC experts guiding authorities through the process – significantly reduces the likelihood of the problems highlighted by the NAO.
Fabric-first insulation remains a crucial precursor to new heating technologies because a damp home with a solar panel is still just that – a damp home.