BUSINESS SUPPORT RETROFIT OPPORTUNITIES
RETROFIT FOR PURPOSE
S ix and a half million so their lenders can deliver on net zero commitments and they can pay less on their mortgages. So says Colin Calder, CEO and Co-founder of Digital Buildings Limited: “A lot of lenders have signed up to the homeowners need to retrofit their properties to an EPC rating of C Net-Zero Banking Alliance, which means they have an obligation to remove the carbon from their loan book. “That’s a big opportunity,” Calder adds, which is why his organisation has put together a Trustmark-certified scheme
The FMB is working with Digital Buildings Limited to give members’ better access to retrofit projects pump installation, and so on,” Calder explains. “We identify costs for the project, and the impacts it will have on the property value, energy bills and carbon emissions.” Armed with data, the consumer requests
measures, they simply need to find a subcontractor who can,” Calder explains. “But they must use an FMB contract with their chosen subcontractors. And they obviously carry the responsibility and legal obligations through those contractual arrangements.” Membership benefits Better data, a complete framework and more efficient payments are key reasons why contractors should be interested in this scheme, Calder argues. “Some contractors don’t want to go into this market because they’re fed up with not getting paid in full or on time. We’re bringing in a system to reduce those risks. “We will have done all the upfront communication with the customer, finding out their desired outcomes – and this could also be about more than just energy efficiency. It might include a new kitchen, a bathroom upgrade, general building works or a specific renovation. We document all of the consumer’s needs so contractors can accurately bid for the works.”
The homeowner receives quotes from three contractors based in their area, and makes a decision on who will carry out the work. “We inform the winning contractor,” he says, “and only then does the contractor need to go to the site to carry out their own physical assessment before they sign the contract.” Calder wants to hone the process so it is smooth, repeatable and scalable. What you need to do The FMB and Digital Buildings are in talks about maximising value to members, but the likely outcome will be favourable incentives for joining the scheme, such as not paying the onboarding fee and receiving the first year of membership for free. FMB members should: ● sign up to the Digital Buildings scheme at digitalbuildings.co.uk ; and ● show evidence of
to benefit consumers, lenders, assessors and, of course, contractors.
money from their lender. Once approved, Calder’s team carries out a full site assessment, collating necessary data. “We give contractors in
How the process works Digital Buildings uploads lenders’ portfolios to its database and builds a bespoke retrofit plan for every property to reach a minimum EPC of C. “Our digital model identifies the different measures for each property, which could be anything from external wall insulation, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, heat
the scheme all the data they need through our electronic platform that enables them to price the work in a standardised way because they’re always going to receive information in the same format. They price it, send it back to us, and they don’t even need to go to the site.”
experience and skills of carrying out home improvement works.
“Even if FMB members do not perform all of the retrofit
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Master Builder
www.fmb.org.uk
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