Retrofitting the existing housing stock to a high level of energy efficiency will not be limited to achieving the decarbonisation of 80.3 MtCO2e residential emissions and reducing fuel poverty in 4.16 million households, but also improving the health and well-being of UK residents and their overall quality of life. The current progress of housing retrofitting is poor, at less than 1%. The UK expects to achieve net zero by 2050, and the challenge is immense as there are more than 30 million houses. The challenge is similar in other global contexts. Even if the required technology, supply chain, skilled labour, and finance could have been provided, the retrofitting would not move forward without positive engagement from the clients. Proper strategies are required to retrofit at scale. Focusing on the challenges of stakeholder engagement in housing retrofitting, this study focused on developing a hybrid one-stop shop solution through design science research. A theoretical artefact and an empirical system requirement specification document were developed to propose a one-stop shop solution. This was tested through retrofit industry stakeholders. Findings reveal that the one-stop shop model will be a good answer to retrofitting at scale, providing the resident engagement of 30.1 million households. The model can support residents with or without computer literacy due to its hybrid approach. The proposed theoretical and industrial models can be used as base models for developing one-stop shops for housing retrofitting by adapting them for context-specific requirements.

Housing retrofit plays a pivotal role in achieving sustainability goals. The fragmented nature of the retrofit industry has been identified as a barrier to driving retrofit at scale. The study aims to analyse how to strategically improve the concept of the one-stop-shop model to drive housing retrofit at scale with the help of existing literature. The concept of a one-stop-shop model provides all the retrofit services with a single contact to the client. A systematic literature review approach was used. Only peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and conference articles published from 2016 to 2025 in English were selected. There are 12 shortlisted journal and conference proceedings articles critically evaluated under three themes: delivery method, ownership structure and level of responsibility. The findings highlight the different characteristics of the one-stop-shop model under these themes. Considering the existing case studies, starting a one-stop shop under a hybrid delivery method and a medium level of responsibility is recommended for retrofit at scale. The ownership structure shall be context-specific. Limitations could be given as the researcher bias and the missed articles in databases not considered for this review. Further research is suggested on how the characteristics of a one-stop shop can be customised, considering the context-specific resources and purposes.

Housing retrofit is vital for meeting sustainability goals, yet limited homeowner demand remains a significant barrier to widespread adoption. While challenges such as skills shortages and supply chain issues also exist, a strong homeowner demand could drive solutions to these obstacles. Despite the availability of grant schemes, homeowner interest in retrofitting remains low, slowing adoption rates and impeding national sustainability targets. Based on data from a questionnaire survey of UK homeowners, this study explores how demographic factors shape homeowner decision-making behaviour. Statistical analysis reveals several key insights: (1) homeowners primarily view retrofitting as an investment, seeking returns through energy bill savings; (2) concern over unintended consequences of retrofitting impacts willingness to participate; and (3) educational level strongly influences homeowner behaviour. These findings offer valuable perspectives for developing large-scale retrofit strategies, addressing the underlying behavioural barriers that have hindered the success of existing retrofit programs.

The study focused on the procurement routes and the forms of contract, currently used in the UK housing retrofit industry. Importantly, the contracts between the clients and the contractors were investigated. This study used a qualitative approach with a critical literature review and semi-structured interview data collection for the methodology. The findings show that the housing retrofit industry does not use any standard form of contract in general. Most contractors use guarantees, warranties, and invoices instead of standard forms of contract. They usually use bespoke contracts if contract administration is required. This is because there is nothing wrong with the existing way of addressing contract administration in retrofit. As the UK needs to retrofit 30.1 million houses, there can be contractual disputes aggregating to 8.1 million properties or GBP 221.4 billion project value. The study recommends using standard forms of contract to avoid and reduce the detrimental effects of contractual disputes in housing retrofit in the future.

Housing stock is observed to be associated with high carbon emissions, high fuel poverty and low comfort levels in the UK. Retrofitting the housing stock is one of the best solutions to address these problems. This paper directly corresponds with human and planetary health in terms of climate change, human health and mental health by addressing the challenges of housing retrofit at scale. Retrofitting houses can also contribute to social equity, reduced use of planetary resources and better financial and physical comfort. Despite the availability of the right technology, government grants and the potential to acquire supply chain and skilled labour, the progress of retrofit is extremely poor. Importantly, the UK is off track to achieve net zero by 2050, and the housing stock contributes 18.72% of the total emissions. The problem is further exacerbated by the 30.4 million units of housing stock. Robust strategies are required to retrofit the housing stock at scale. The study uses a qualitative modelling method under the diffusion of innovations theory to formulate a retrofit-at-scale strategy for the UK. Findings recommend focusing on skill development, show homes, research and innovation, supply chain development, business models, government grants and regulatory tools in a trajectory from 2025 to 2050. The proposed strategy is aligned with the segments of the diffusion of innovation theory. Although the analysis was performed with reference to the UK, the findings are transferable, considering the broader and urgent concerns related to human and planetary health.