This year, we have been heavily involved in Retrofit Action Week West Midlands, which ran last week. We have attended and hosted events in previous years, but 2025 saw us attend the summit as a Thought Leader as well as Retrofit Action Week’s first-ever Community Partner.

Over the last few months, we have been working closely with Low Carbon Homes Ltd, who organise the events across the country every year, to develop the idea of what a Community Partner is. We decided that the language used around retrofit was very important, and can often alienate members of the public who are interested in energy efficiency but don’t know where to start. So, we made this our focus. Act on Energy released 15 new online resources, for free, to help explain a range of renewable technologies in simple terms. Ranging from air source heat pumps to solar panels, light bulb guides to cavity wall insulation – these guides are there to support the initial conversation around retrofit and what could work for you.

We also spent the week attending events across Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands to discuss energy efficiency grants and schemes that could help some residents with the cost of retrofitting their home. Our energy advisors and qualified retrofit advisors were also on-hand through our free phone line and advice email, to help support people who couldn’t attend an in-person event but still wanted their questions answered.

Across the 3-day online summit, our colleagues contributed to a number of discussions in the breakout rooms. On day one of the summit our CEO, Rachel Jones, delivered a presentation around the importance of communication with clients before, during and after home upgrade installs. We have heard from several clients in recent years who have had new systems installed without understanding how to use them and have faced negative consequences due to this. We have worked with local authorities across the West Midlands on providing the customer journey for residents who go through energy efficiency schemes, which helps builds trust between client and contractor, as well as ensuring follow-up support.

Although Retrofit Action Week is over for the West Midlands, the conversation is still very much alive. Our energy experts continue to be available, new schemes to support with the cost are opening all the time and our resources remain on our website to provide an insight into specific energy efficiency topics. We also launched a video showcasing a cavity wall insulation install on a property in Solihull that was funded through a recent grant: you can view this video and hear from Solihull resident, Gail, on our YouTube channel.