Imagine this. It’s the coldest week of January. You’re standing in your kitchen, breath visible in the air. Your child is sitting at the table doing homework in a coat. The kettle is steaming, not for tea, but so you can warm your hands. On the counter lie two bills: One for groceries, One for heating. You can only afford one. Now choose. As a parent, what do you pick?

Warmth or food? 

The most devastating thing about this scenario is that this is not a thought experiment. This is the reality for families across the UK. Elderly people ration heat like it’s a luxury. Parents wrap children in blankets indoors. Millions are trapped in cold, damp, energy-inefficient homes. 

This is why the first meeting of the Future Homes, Skills & Innovation (FHSI) APPG mattered far more than any technical document or policy briefing. This isn’t just about insulation, legislation or compliance. 

It’s about dignity. It’s about health. It’s about keeping people warm and safe. 

"Many families, including the elderly and vulnerable, are struggling with the high utility costs, poor insulation and sub-standard heating. Too many will face impossible choices this winter between warmth and food. This is why we are here."- Nick Miles

In a packed Committee Room in Westminster, industry leaders, policymakers, skills providers and energy experts came together to answer one urgent question: 

How do we build back confidence and deliver better-quality homes? 

Right now, the UK retrofit is at a crossroads and the stakes could not be higher. 

The UK Retrofit Sector Is Facing a Moment of Truth 

Let’s talk about facts.  

According to the Energy Saving Trust, the UK supply chain represented in that APPG room has delivered more than 2.4 million energy-efficiency improvements in the past decade. Real homes. Real families. Real impact.

Another number exists, a very devastating one: 92% of audited external wall insulation (EWI) installations are majorly non-compliant. Out of every 100 homes assessed, 92 failed to meet proper standards. 

If 92% of cars were unsafe, we’d shut down motorways. 

If 92% of restaurants failed hygiene checks, we’d close half of the high streets. 

 So why, when it comes to the walls that are meant to keep people warm and healthy, is it seen as “just part of the process”?

"This is the moment for self-reflection and reform."

The end of ECO4 in 2026 now adds more uncertainties. SMEs are delaying apprenticeships. Tier 1 providers can’t plan an investment. The supply chain is losing momentum exactly when the UK needs it firing on all cylinders.  

When the government aims to upgrade 5 million homes, you cannot afford a workforce in limbo. 

This is why clarity on the Warm Homes Plan and what replaces ECO4 cannot wait. 

Skills, Standards and the Trouble with Stop-Start Policy

The APPG heard a clear, unified message from across the industry: 

• There is no coherent national green skills strategy. 

• Apprenticeships are expensive and oversubscribed. 

• Colleges cannot place students because SMEs cannot commit. 

• 135,000 -750,000 retrofit professionals are needed. 

• Current installer standards are inconsistent and confusing. 

• Consumers don’t know who to trust. 

• Energy suppliers want to innovate, but policy keeps shifting. 

We have the technology. We have the expertise. We have the demand. 

What we lack is continuity. 

"Policy continuity is essential. This sector employs tens of thousands nationwide. We simply cannot afford to lose skilled colleagues now."- Nick Miles

The message couldn’t have been clearer: Stop-start policy kills progress. 

Clarity keeps people warm. 

What a Warm Home Really Means: Clive’s Story 

It’s easier to get lost in talk of “whole-home assessments”, “fabric-first approaches”, “insulation compliance” and “AI-driven energy systems.” 

It is important to remember, behind every measure, behind every number is a person. 

Nick Miles shared such a story. 

Clive, a man in his late seventies living in a cold, draughty, solid-wall home in Shropshire. This man told Nick that, for as long as he could remember, he could not bathe in a warm room in winter. After the right retrofit measures were installed, Clive told the team: 

"I now live a life of luxury."

His bills dropped. 

His health improved. 

And for the first time in years: 

"My home feels like a home again"

Clive’s story is not a miracle. It’s what happens when retrofit is done right. Multiply that by thousands and you make a real difference in the homes of this nation. 

This is what a high-quality retrofit industry can deliver. 

A National Mission: Strong Standards, Skilled People, Stable Policy 

Throughout the APPG meeting, a shared blueprint emerged, one built not on politics but on practical reality. 

The UK must commit to: 

Long-term stable retrofit policy 

A clear transition from ECO4 to the Warm Homes Plan: No more disappearing schemes or cliff edges. 

Unified standards and accreditation 

A “Gas Safe” for retrofit: one trusted badge, one set of rules. 

Skilled, supported installers 

Investment in colleges, apprenticeships, SMEs and specialised training. Green skills to be embedded in traditional trades.

Whole-home, fabric-first principles 

Understand the building. Treat it as a system. Ventilation plus insulation equates to healthier homes.

Consumer protection and public confidence 

Clear guidance, simple redress, honest communication and homes that actually perform. 

Innovation that reaches real households 

• AI energy management systems 

• Heat-loss sensors 

• Battery storage 

• Smart controls 

• Grid efficiencies 

These technologies already save vulnerable households up to 25% on bills, but they need support to scale.

A retrofit supply chain that works together 

Tier 1 providers bring scale and compliance. SMEs bring trust, flexibility and community roots. Together, they make retrofit deliverable and human. 

The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters for 2026 and Beyond

Where EWI Pro and the Retrofit Supply Chain Lead the Way 

At the APPG, EWI Pro stood as a voice for quality, competence and community impact, not because it sounds good, but because the industry desperately needs it. 

EWI systems must be safe. They must be compliant and installed by trained, competent professionals. 

When EWI is delivered properly, it not only improves energy efficiency it also protects health, reduces damage and mould, enhances comfort and cuts bills. 

EWI Pro and its partners across the supply chain are pushing for: 

• Better standards 

• Stronger training 

• More transparent guidance 

• Advanced testing 

• Innovative products 

• Whole-home thinking 

• A culture where quality is the minimum, not the ambition. 

This is how we build a more resilient, energy-efficient housing stock. 

The Time is Now 

As the meeting closed, one thing was crystal clear. 

We are not at a crisis point. We are at a pivot point. 

If government, industry and communities act with clarity and partnership, we can deliver: 

• Warmer homes 

• Lower bills 

• Healthier families 

• Stronger supply chains 

• Meaningful green jobs 

• A retrofit system the UK can trust 

This is not just about carbon, compliance and climate targets. 

This is about people. It’s about Clive. It’s about the parent choosing between heat and food. It’s about an elderly woman sleeping in her coat. 

It’s about the children doing homework under blankets. 

It’s about dignity. 

"No one should spend another winter cold in their home. - Nick Miles

The UK has a chance to change that and it’s right now. EWI is proud to be helping lead that mission.