Retrofit refers to improvements made to a home to reduce heat loss and improve energy efficiency. This can include upgrading walls, floors, roofs, windows and doors to help keep your home warmer, more comfortable and easier to heat. At Torus, we refer to retrofit as home energy improvements.
The type of home energy improvements available will depend on the age of your home, how it was built, its current Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating and the measures that have already been installed, for example, how new your windows, door or boiler are.
Before any work is recommended, an independent Retrofit Designer and Retrofit Coordinator will assess your home and identify the most suitable improvements. They will advise Torus on which home energy improvements are best suited to your home, ensuring it is easier to heat in winter and better prepared for changing climate conditions.
What is an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?
An EPC shows how energy efficient a home is, how much it may cost to run and its impact on the environment. Ratings range from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient).
Torus is committed to achieving an EPC rating of C or above across all our homes by 2030, wherever possible.
Types of home energy improvements
Home energy improvements may include:
- New windows or doors
- Loft insulation
- Cavity wall insulation
- External wall insulation
- Improved ventilation systems
- Renewable technology such as Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels – solar PV panels capture sunlight and convert it into electricity that can be used in your home. Benefits include being more environmentally friendly and reducing reliance on electricity from the grid.
- Low carbon heating systems such as Air Source Heat Pumps – an Air Source Heat Pump takes heat from the outside air and uses it to provide heating and hot water for your home, even in colder weather. In most cases, it works with your existing radiators and can replace a traditional gas boiler.
In 2023, Torus was awarded more than £9 million grant funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority through the government's Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. This fund is now known as the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund. In 2025, Torus successfully secured a further £10 million of funding. Together with our own investment, we are committed to improving thousands of homes across our communities until 2030.
Supporting you throughout the process
We understand that improvement works can be disruptive or even daunting for some customers. Our dedicated Home Energy Advice Team is on hand to provide support and ensure you are fully informed and consulted throughout every stage of the process.
Alongside the physical improvements installed in your home, we will always provide advice and support to help you get the most out of your home energy improvements. This may include home energy user guides and videos explaining how new systems work. You will also find our team at roadshows, open house events and drop-in sessions throughout the process.
Energy advice from Torus Foundation
If you need a little extra help, our qualified Energy Advisors at Torus Foundation can provide support with:
- Fuel debt
- Billing issues
- Meter readings, if you need assistance
- Applying for grants to help reduce energy debt
- Switching energy providers where appropriate
- Applying for seasonal payments
- Water bill support
- Budgeting advice
Finding out if your home is eligible
Torus carries out Home Improvement Reviews, also known as ‘stock condition surveys’, to all customers’ homes every five years. These surveys help us assess the condition of your home and plan future investment. As part of the survey, we also assess your home’s energy performance, helping us identify where home energy improvements may be beneficial.
You can visit the Government website www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate to view your home’s current and historic Energy Performance Certificates.
If we find that your home may be eligible for home energy improvements, we will contact you directly to arrange a further assessment.
The Torus Home Energy Accelerator Team (HEAT) will be your main point of contact throughout the home energy improvement process.
Customers on the scheme can contact the Home Energy Accelerator Team (HEAT) at [email protected]