The move builds on work in the housing sector and will see Wates Retrofit target an expected pipeline of work from Government targets that demand all social housing properties have Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) bands of at least C by 2030.

The launch of Wates Retrofit comes two years after Wates Living Space  – the group’s dedicated social housing maintenance business – began working with social landlords and housing associations to retrofit ageing housing stock.

More recently Wates has expanded its capabilities to include a PAS 2038 compliant service in partnership with Energy Specifics to support non-domestic customers with their carbon reduction strategies.

David Morgan, executive managing director of Wates Property Services, said: “There are approximately five million social housing properties in the UK, some are new and inherently efficient, but the majority are decades old.

“Every single one requires an individual design with necessary property changes, and appropriate and cost-effective energy efficiency measures for that individual property.

“With the launch of Wates Retrofit, we make a pledge to elevate our retrofit service for both domestic and non-domestic clients.

“We will continue to work collaboratively with them to navigate grant and funding streams, ensure compliance and connect them with our specialist supply chain partners.

“Our aim is to help our clients reduce their carbon emissions, but within this vital objective is another pressing issue; families are facing rising energy costs. Helping to address this makes our retrofit work even more important to our business.”

The UK Government has pledged all parts of the economy will be net zero by 2050, however over 80% of the buildings that will be in use in 2050 have already been built.

This means the UK’s existing building stock must be upgraded to reduce carbon emissions and reduce spiralling energy costs. This equates to 26 million homes, of which nearly 5 million are in social housing.