Ecology Building Society has launched a new partnership with retrofit management firm Retrogreen, offering its borrowers free access to expert guidance on how green home improvements can enhance comfort, improve energy performance and reduce household bills.
The new initiative is available to borrowers who have, or are applying for, Ecology’s renovation mortgage.
It aims to help homeowners overcome barriers such as a lack of reliable information, cost uncertainty and difficulty finding reputable tradespeople for installing technologies like heat pumps and solar panels.
Retrogreen’s online tool helps homeowners assess their property, understand what energy efficiency improvements would be most beneficial, and estimate potential costs.
Users can prioritise improvements based on affordability and personal goals, and see how each change could raise their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating or even boost property value.
Daniel Capstick, senior mortgages product and proposition manager at Ecology Building Society, said: “Time and again we hear that consumers are interested in making green home improvements but often they don’t know where to start.
“That’s why we’ve partnered with Retrogreen to bridge that ‘confidence gap’. Retrogreen can offer support, from assessing the property’s needs and what changes are right for the borrower, through to finding accredited tradespeople and helping to see the work through to completion.”
The initial assessment process is free for Ecology borrowers, with discounted access to Retrogreen’s full surveying and project support service.
The Society plans to extend the partnership across its wider membership in due course.
Colin Calder, CEO at Retrogreen, said: “We’re proud to partner with Ecology to make trusted retrofit advice accessible to more homeowners.
“Our goal is to give homeowners the confidence to act – showing them which upgrades make sense, what they’ll cost, how they’ll improve comfort, savings, and energy performance.
“We connect homeowners with trusted professionals to deliver the work properly.”
Ecology already incentivises borrowers to improve energy efficiency through its C-Change discount, offering up to 1.50% off mortgage rates based on efficiency gains.
Its renovation mortgage range also includes cashback incentives for installing heat pumps – £500 for air source and £1,000 for ground source systems.
