Residents

Retrofit for Residents

Who are we and what do we do?

Coactivation Ltd., is a company specialising in the retrofit of social housing. We work with Housing Associations, Local Authorities, and social housing providers to improve the energy efficiency of homes across the UK.


Our Retrofit Assessors carry out property surveys at the start and end of each project. Our Retrofit Design team work with property owners to ensure the right improvement work is carried out for each individual property, and our Retrofit Coordinators liaise with the property owners, i.e. social housing providers, to ensure that the retrofit work meets Government standards and requirements. 

What is 'Retrofit'?

Retrofit is the process of making improvements to your home, so that it is more energy efficient, has lower carbon emissions, improves ‘thermal comfort’ and ensures correct ventilation to reduce the risk of mould and damp.


Retrofit can include all kinds of different improvement measures, depending on the requirements of your home, including:


  • Wall insulation
  • Floor insulation
  • Loft insulation
  • Upgrading windows and doors
  • Renewing services such as heating, hot water and lighting
  • Improving ventilation in your home


We follow a ‘Fabric First’ approach to retrofit, which means that the priorities are upgrading the ‘fabric’ of the building first, i.e. the walls, lofts, floors, etc., alongside ensuring there is the right amount of ventilation. 

How does Retrofit of your home benefit you?

The improvements made to homes, to make them more energy efficient, lead to lower household energy bills, reduced carbon dioxide emissions, and help reduce the likelihood of damp, mould and condensation.

What happens during a property survey?

One of our team will contact you to arrange a convenient date and time for one of our surveyors to attend your property. Each ‘Pre-Retrofit Survey’, i.e. the first survey, takes approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of your property. 


All of the information and data gathered during the assessment will then be used to calculate heat losses and identify areas of improvement. This forms the basis of your specific property energy improvement plan, which contains bespoke recommendations on improving the energy efficiency of your home. This plan includes the predicted energy, carbon, and cost savings from the suggested measures. No work will be carried out during this survey; it is a visual check of your property.

During the appointment, your surveyor will:

Ask questions about your home

Our surveyor will ask you a series of questions about the property, your energy usage / costs, and any issues you might be experiencing, such as damp, mould or condensation.

Visually check the structural features of your home

Our surveyor will then move around your home and conduct a room-by-room examination, including the loft space.


This will include measuring walls and rooms, identifying the heating and hot water systems, taking measurements and readings, checking lighting. They will also create a floor plan.

Check any insulation in your home

Our surveyor will then check key areas where heat enters and escapes from your home, for example the walls, basements, and lofts.


If you have a loft, the assessor will need access to it to check the insulation, as it’s a common area where heat is lost, due to lack of or low levels of insulation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to some of the most common questions we hear from residents about the retrofit process.


If you have any other questions or concern which are not shown below, please call us on 01332 806 100 or email us via appointments@coactivation.co.uk

  • I've received a postcard, how can I book a survey appointment?

    Great! All you need to do is call us on 01332 806 100 or email us at appointments@coactivation.co.uk and we'll get you booked in.

  • What if I need to cancel a survey appointment?

    That’s fine, we know that life happens! All you need to do is call us on 01332 806 100 or email appointments@coactivation.co.uk, and we will rearrange your survey as soon as possible.

  • Do I need to clear out my loft?

    Our surveyors will only need to open the loft hatch and look into the loft in order to take photos of the insulation. You do not need to clear your  loft specifcally for these surveys.

  • How do I know that your surveyors are who they say they are?

    We totally understand that inviting new people into your home can feel uncomfortable, that’s why all of our surveyors carry ID cards which you should ask to see before allowing them into your home. 


    If you’re unsure, you can always get in touch with the Resident Liaison Officer or the Housing Association to confirm our role and work as part of the Retrofit Project. 


    We want to make the survey process as simple and smooth as possible, so please do get in touch if you have any questions.


    If you’re in any doubt or would like the Resident Liaison Officer to be present during the survey, then we will work with you to make that happen.


  • I have dogs in the property, what should I do?

    We know that most dogs a very happy to meet our surveyors! 


    However, if your dogs or any other animals, are nervous, easily upset or aggressive in any way, then please let us know when you book your survey appointment so that we can minimise disruption and risk to people and pets. 

  • I’ve already had a survey of my home, why do I need another one?

    Retrofit projects will include all kinds of different people, including installers for different measures, many of which will need to carry out pre-installation surveys as relevant to different parts of the retrofit work.


     So you will likely be part of a number of different surveys, each focusing on different aspects of the work.


    Our Pre- and Post- Retrofit surveys are both an essential part of the retrofit project, so even if you have already had a survey on your home, our surveyors will still need to attend.


  • What happens during the 'Post Retrofit' Property Survey?

    This second, 'post retrofit' survey happens at the very end of the retrofit project, when all improvement work has been completed and signed off. 


    Our surveyor will carry out a shorter assessment which will generate an EPC rating and certificate for your home, which will evidence the improvement in energy efficiency following the improvement work.


    This ‘Post Retrofit Survey’ will take approximately 30 minutes, depending on the size of your property.  The surveyor will require access to each room in your home, along with access to the loft hatch. 

Get in Touch

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us:

Landline - 01332 806 100

Email - appointments@coactivation.co.uk

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