Metis Develops Scalable Model for Mass Low-Carbon Retrofit
Tom Woolley insists the UK has tested retrofit solutions long enough. With Metis’s model successfully implemented in Oxfordshire, he argues it is time to move forward with fully funded retrofit projects nationwide.
Proven Success Through Partnership
Metis, in collaboration with Oxfordshire County Council, has demonstrated that large-scale low-carbon retrofit is effective not only technically but also financially and socially.
From Pilots to Nationwide Delivery
The crucial step now is broader adoption. Retrofit should be made as straightforward and scalable as a mobile phone subscription.
Existing Technologies Ready for Deployment
Technologies such as solar panels, batteries, and heat pumps have been proven for decades, and their costs continue to decline sharply.
The missing piece has been a delivery model that ensures accessibility, affordability, and trust among ordinary households.
Challenges in Retrofitting Homes
- Many pilot projects focused on testing individual technologies rather than improving integration and delivery processes.
- This approach has caused progress to stall, risking the UK's ability to meet Net Zero targets.
- Local authorities and households both face barriers such as limited funding, fragmented supply chains, and complex procurement challenges.
- Current government funding cannot cover the full cost of retrofit, while private finance is often hesitant due to uncertainty.
Tom Woolley, SMS Products & Strategy Director, stated: "The innovation phase is over. The challenge now is adoption."
He highlighted: "The technologies that will decarbonise our homes already exist. What’s missing is a delivery model that makes them accessible, affordable, and trusted by ordinary households."
Unlocking scalable retrofit depends on solving financial and procedural hurdles rather than inventing new technologies.
Author's summary: Metis’s proven retrofit model shows the UK must shift from innovation to large-scale delivery, overcoming funding and procedural challenges to meet Net Zero goals.