People Powered Retrofit

What People Powered Retrofit does

People Powered Retrofit is a UK-based not-for-profit cooperative (Community Benefit Society, Registration Number 8656, registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014) headquartered in Manchester that provides independent retrofit assessment, planning, and advisory services to individual homeowners and to organisations delivering retrofit programmes locally. The company was spun out of community energy co-operative Carbon Co-op in 2021 with backing from a community share offer and operates as a member-accountable mission-led entity rather than a profit-maximising business.

The company's core technology is the Home Retrofit Planner (HRP), a whole-house retrofit assessment and modelling platform that integrates building performance data, contextual inputs (planning constraints, flood risk, radon levels), and PAS 2035-aligned recommendation logic to produce tailored, costed retrofit plans. The tool supports scenario comparison across cost, performance, and sequencing, and is delivered to homeowners as a fee-for-service survey (from £750+VAT) with add-on modules for specifications, design review, and on-site construction support. The same software is licensed to partner organisations — community energy groups, charities, local authorities, and consultancies — under a subscription/quote-based model, with partners contributing back into the tool's development through a Community of Practice network.

Revenue is generated across four streams: per-service fees from individual homeowners in the Greater Manchester / North West region; software licensing and training for organisations across the UK; bespoke mentoring packages for retrofit organisations (with bursaries available for smaller community groups); and a credit union referral pathway developed with the SoundPound consortium of Greater Manchester credit unions (collective membership exceeding 120,000) as part of the Green Home Finance Accelerator. The company is GMCA-endorsed, has delivered over 650 whole-house assessments cumulatively, and operates with a team of approximately 11 people.

Name

People Powered Retrofit

Legal name

People Powered Retrofit Limited

Website

https://retrofit.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

People Powered Retrofit is a Manchester-based not-for-profit cooperative that provides independent home retrofit assessment, planning, and advisory services to individual homeowners and to community organisations, licensing its Home Retrofit Planner software and delivering mentoring across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Home Retrofit Services

NAICS

Residential Remodelers (236118)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600)

akta.pro primary industry

Energy Efficiency & Weatherization Retrofit (HSAPAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

LED Retrofit & Lighting Upgrade Installation (HSAOAFAH)

Keywords

• Home retrofit planning
• Whole-house retrofit
• Retrofit assessment services
• Energy efficiency consulting
• Community retrofit programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Homeowner Retrofit Services: Fees charged to individual homeowners for Home Retrofit Planner surveys, retrofit specifications, design review, and on-site construction support. Services are priced at fixed rates (e.g., Home Retrofit Planner from £750+VAT, Retrofit Specifications from £200+VAT, Design Review from £400+VAT). Cost dependent on project for on-site support.
2. Software Licensing (Home Retrofit Planner): Organisations (local authorities, community groups, charities, consultancies) license access to the Home Retrofit Planner tool. Part of a broader partnership offering that includes training, technical support, and community of practice access.
3. Mentoring & Consultancy: Tailored mentoring packages for retrofit organisations covering business model reviews, service design, supply chain engagement, householder engagement, and technical research support. Bursaries available for smaller community groups. Delivered online or in-person across the UK.
4. Credit Union Loan Products: Collaboration with credit unions to facilitate retrofit financing. People Powered Retrofit designed loan products (e.g., green home improvement loan up to £15,000 at 6.2% APR via South Manchester Credit Union), trained credit union staff, and created guidance materials. Revenue derived from referral pathways rather than direct loan interest.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

People Powered Retrofit delivers independent, whole-house retrofit assessments for individual homeowners via on-site visits and its Home Retrofit Planner (HRP) software, producing Retrofit Specifications and Design Reviews. For organisations—including community groups, local authorities, charities, ethical lenders, and social enterprises—it licenses the HRP software and provides mentoring and training programmes to support community-led retrofit delivery. The offer is grounded in PAS 2035 retrofit standards and is funded through fixed-price homeowner services, organisational software licences, training fees, and credit union referral commissions.

Product overview

People Powered Retrofit operates a platform-plus-services model centred on the Home Retrofit Planner tool. The core offering is the Home Retrofit Planner, a detailed whole-house retrofit assessment tool that produces tailored, costed plans. This software is available both as a direct service for homeowners (starting from £750 + VAT) and as a licensable platform for partner organisations. Supporting the tool are service modules including Retrofit Specifications, Design Review, and On-site Support for homeowners, plus Mentoring Packages and Training for organisations. The company also runs a Partnership Network providing access to the Community of Practice, tools, and ongoing support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Home Retrofit Planner (HRP): A structured retrofit assessment tool for modelling buildings, testing scenarios, and providing recommendations to clients. Over 650 whole-house retrofit assessments have been delivered using HRP.

Quantifiable outcome

• 55% reduction in household energy use and 68% reduction in energy for heating and hot water (Dom & Kerstin case study)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SY EcofitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSY Ecofit is a replication partner in the People Powered Retrofit network. The partnership involves co-designing mentoring sessions — SY Ecofit's leadership learned about People Powered Retrofit's journey and collaborated on session design rather than receiving a pre-prescribed model. This reflects People Powered Retrofit's approach of co-developing support with partners rather than imposing fixed frameworks.
• NESFITcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNESFIT received mentoring support from People Powered Retrofit on establishing their organisation, including insights into challenges of building a new organisation, the need for persistence and patience, and building capacity with available funding. NESFIT's directors gained valuable strategic insights from the mentoring engagement.
• Futureproof CumbriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFutureproof Cumbria is a replication partner using the Home Retrofit Planner tool. Testimonial confirms that when something isn't covered in the tool, People Powered Retrofit is responsive in suggesting alternatives or adding to the database, simplifying the process and saving time in building an accurate picture of properties.
• ChangeworkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChangeworks is a replication partner in the network. Mentioned alongside Futureproof Cumbria and CSE as organisations providing real-world examples for developing HRP plan formats aligned with BS40104 and PAS2035 standards. Also consulted on heat pump survey workflows for HRP data export design.
• Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSE is a replication partner and one of the organisations mapping current heat pump survey processes to inform HRP data export format development. Contributes to ongoing tool improvement through shared experience of practitioners.
• SoundPound / Greater Manchester Credit UnionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoundPound is a Greater Manchester-wide consortium of credit unions with collective membership exceeding 120,000 people. People Powered Retrofit collaborated with SoundPound members (including Metro Moneywise and South Manchester Credit Union) to develop the Better Home Loan product and People Powered Retrofit Loan as part of the Green Home Finance Accelerator. Collaboration includes staff training, factsheet development, and package design for retrofit financing.
• York Community EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYork Community Energy is listed as a replication partner in the network. A community energy organisation rooted in its local area helping households take steps towards warmer, greener homes.
• Calderdale Council / TLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed the Calderdale Retrofit Guide (2025) with People Powered Retrofit and TLC. The practical guide supports Calderdale residents, communities, and local stakeholders to understand and engage with home retrofit, outlining key measures suitable for local housing types and including insights from local projects.
• Carbon Co-opcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon Co-op is the founding organisation that backed and spun out People Powered Retrofit as an independent Community Benefit Society in 2021. People Powered Retrofit originated from Carbon Co-op's retrofit programme. Carbon Co-op members receive referral support and access to People Powered Retrofit services. Dom & Kerstin McCann became members of Carbon Co-op. Sarah & Lloyd Hamilton also became Carbon Co-op members.
• Waxwing EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as part of the partner network. Waxwing Energy is a community energy organisation doing work in the retrofit space, represented in the geographic partner map published on the blog.
• Bath and West Community EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as part of the partner network. Bath and West Community Energy produces practical video guides on improving warmth and energy efficiency of listed buildings. Referenced in the Resources page.
• Exeter Community EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as part of the partner network. A community energy organisation in the South West, helping households retrofit their homes. Represented in the geographic partner map.
• Energise Sussex CoastminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as part of the partner network. Community energy organisation on the south coast of England, helping households with retrofit. Represented in the geographic partner map covering Great Britain.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sealed: US home energy retrofit company that uses data and a software model to design and deliver home weatherisation and electrification projects, often bundled with financing. Comparable to PPE because it pairs whole-house retrofit assessment with a software-driven consumer journey and finance partnerships.
• BlocPower: US-based software-driven building energy retrofit platform that combines project financing, project management, and a software marketplace for contractors. Directly comparable to People Powered Retrofit as a software-plus-services model targeting whole-building energy retrofits, with similar emphasis on decarbonisation at scale.
• Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE): Bristol-based charity providing energy advice, retrofit support, and policy research; an active replication partner of People Powered Retrofit using the Home Retrofit Planner. Comparable as a UK retrofit advisory and community energy organisation with overlapping services and customer base.
• Parity Projects: UK-based retrofit consultancy providing whole-house retrofit assessment, planning, and project support for homeowners, housing associations, and local authorities. Closest UK direct competitor to PPE — similar service mix, similar geographic targeting of the North of England, and similar alignment with PAS 2035.
• Changeworks: Scotland-based environmental charity delivering home energy advice, retrofit coordination, and community programmes. Comparable as a mission-aligned UK retrofit coordinator and licensed partner of PPE delivering whole-house retrofit services through similar PAS 2035-aligned methodology.

Others

• Carbon Co-op: Manchester-based community energy cooperative that incubated People Powered Retrofit and remains its backer. Comparable as a mission-aligned cooperative delivering home energy services to members, with overlapping member base and shared heritage; not a direct competitor but a strategic partner and original parent.

Emerging players

• WattLogic: UK building energy analytics and retrofit advisory firm targeting commercial and residential portfolios. Comparable as a UK retrofit-focused data and advisory firm using modelling tools to scope building performance improvements.
• Energiesprong UK: UK programme (originating in the Netherlands) promoting whole-house, performance-based retrofit using standardised components and digital delivery models. Comparable as a UK whole-house retrofit movement whose digital / industrialised approach overlaps with PPE's standardised assessment methodology.

Broad incumbents

• National Energy Action (NEA): UK national charity working on fuel poverty and energy efficiency, including home retrofit support and advice. Comparable as a larger, broader UK home energy charity with overlapping homeowner advisory mission and policy influence.

Regional players

• Renovate America (PACE programme administrators): US-based provider of home energy renovation financing and project management (HERO/PACE). Comparable to PPE's credit-union financing pathway in pairing retrofit advisory with consumer finance partnerships, though operating in a different regulatory/market context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/people-powered-retrofit

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about People Powered Retrofit