FAQ for Housing Associations & Local Authorities
01
How do you ensure quality of retrofit work undertaken?
We don't undertake building work ourselves, all work is done by certified contractors. We can only provide funding where work is undertaken by contractors that have TrustMark assurance. Therefore, the work is fully insured and comes with peace of mind. TrustMark is the only UK Government endorsed assurance provider for energy improvement work in the home.
02
What are the most important things to be aware of before embarking on a retrofit project?
A retrofit project can be like the proverbial jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces need to be fitted together in a certain way to be successful. You’ll know already the issues surrounding affordability of retrofit so optimising the funding available is a critical step and must be done right at the start of a retrofit project.
It’s also really important to invoke proper governance on projects from the start, ensuring segregation of responsibilities in order to protect your interests and for you to retain control of key project elements.
FAQ for Landlords & Letting Agents
01
Will decarbonisation works add value to my rental properties?
More and more buyers are taking into consideration the energy efficiency of homes before buying. There are a number of recognised reports which show the direct link between homes with higher energy efficiency ratings and the market value. There’s also an increased awareness with lenders (banks and building societies) who recognise the benefits and added value of energy efficient homes.
02
How do you ensure quality of retrofit work undertaken?
We don't undertake building work ourselves, all work is done by certified contractors. We can only provide funding where work is undertaken by contractors that have TrustMark assurance. Therefore, the work is fully insured and comes with peace of mind. TrustMark is the only UK Government endorsed assurance provider for energy improvement work in the home.
03
Will the work reduce my tenants energy bills?
A more energy efficient home takes less power to heat, retains the heat better, and if you chose renewable energy e.g. solar panels, can produce its own power. Any of these elements will positively affect heating use and the cost.
04
What will be the impact on my Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?
The package of energy improvement works to your property will increase the energy efficient of the property and increase your EPC rating.
05
Is this funding available to private landlords?
Yes, funding is connected with the eligibility of the property and the tenant. We manage this process and undertake the necessary checks to ensure eligibility.
06
Can private landlords with multiple properties gain funding?
Yes, the funding is assessed on an individual property and individual tenant basis.
07
Will funding help private landlords comply with Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards?
Yes. The energy efficiency measures installed via the funding will help improve the property energy efficiency and increase the EPC rating. Thus, the funding will greatly assist private landlords achieving MEES.
08
Is the work 100% funded?
We optimise all the different forms of funding we have available to get you the optimal/ best funding package. Whilst this often results in 100% of the work being paid for, sometimes there may be contributions required. Any contribution will be clearly defined by your installer.
FAQ for Home Owners
01
Will decarbonisation works add value to my home?
More and more buyers are taking into consideration the energy efficiency of homes before buying. There are a number of recognised reports which show the direct link between homes with higher energy efficiency ratings and the market value. There’s also an increased awareness with lenders (banks and building societies) who recognise the benefits and added value of energy efficient homes.
02
How do you ensure quality of retrofit work undertaken?
We don't undertake building work ourselves, all work is done by certified contractors. We can only provide funding where work is undertaken by contractors that have TrustMark assurance. Therefore, the work is fully insured and comes with peace of mind. TrustMark is the only UK Government endorsed assurance provider for energy improvement work in the home.
03
Will the work save me money on my heating bills?
A more energy efficient home takes less power to heat, retains the heat better, and if you chose renewable energy e.g. solar panels, can produce its own power. Any of these elements will positively affect your heating use and the cost.
04
What impact will having energy efficiency works undertaken on my home have on the planet?
Housing is one of the highest users of energy in the UK and worldwide. Having an energy efficient home means you’ll use less energy and if you choose forms of renewable energy generation e.g. solar panels, you’ll be helping towards one of the greatest impacts that can be made to reduce and control global warming.
05
Will my homes Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) get a higher rating?
The package of energy improvement works to your home will increase the energy efficiency of your home and increase your EPC rating.
FAQ for Building Contractors
01
What can Optify do for me?
We’re specialists in retrofit funding and piecing together the various pieces of the retrofit puzzle to enable funded retrofit to happen. For building contractors that don’t have a source of retrofit funding, we can provide you with that for projects that meet eligibility criteria. We can supply leads of retrofit projects in your area and we can support you with winning retrofit work with your existing clients.
02
If I already have my own funding source for doing retrofit, what can Optify do for me?
For contractors that already have a source of retrofit funding, through our retrofit funding optimisation service, we could potentially help you source more funding for projects from different sources. We could also be a useful source of retrofit project leads for you in your area and help you with marketing your funded retrofit services to clients to help you win more work.
03
I’m interested in doing retrofit work, where do I start?
Winning and executing retrofit projects is a bit like a puzzle where you need all the pieces lined up to be successful.
The very start of your retrofit journey will involve becoming PAS and TrustMark accredited as retrofit funding cannot be used on projects executed by contractors that don’t have these accreditations. We recommend getting in touch with our partner NetRet here to discuss kickstarting your accreditation.
Once certified, we’d recommend getting in touch with us to explore working together. Put simply, the various services we offer are designed to piece together all the constituent pieces of the puzzle that enable successful retrofit; we have relationships with funders so have ready access to retrofit funding for eligible properties, we specialise in optimising funding to get the best possible outcomes for you and your clients, we deal with the complexity of funding and all the administration so you can focus on what you do best and we help you win more work through your network and beyond with our marketing and lead generation support.
04
What’s the best way to approach the subject of retrofit with my building clients?
From this point forward, it’s quite likely that any domestic building client you do work for will need some kind of retrofit work doing on their house to increase their EPC rating as we strive to make housing carbon neutral.
Funding is available today for many properties and home owners so raising the possibility with all your clients as a matter of course is a good thing to do. For those that do qualify for funding, providing you have your PAS and TrustMark accreditations, winning additional profitable work with these clients is in reach.
Get in touch to find out how we can help you win that additional work with our marketing support and how we can help your clients establish if they’d qualify for retrofit funding.