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#retrofit

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Juggling With Eggs<p>‘Equipping new homes with heat pumps, solar panels and high-grade insulation at the time of construction would have cost between £5,000 and £8,500 for most of the period since 2016. </p><p>Housebuilders, however, have long claimed building to such standards would be prohibitively expensive.’</p><p>Europe manages to do this, even US have higher rate of take up of heat pumps than UK.</p><p>It’s a dirty race to the bottom in the UK because of lobbying. </p><p><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/housebuilding" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>housebuilding</span></a><br><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Retrofit</span></a><br><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/EnergyEfficiency" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EnergyEfficiency</span></a></p>
Juggling With Eggs<p>A <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/WealthTax" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WealthTax</span></a> to support a comprehensive <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/insulation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>insulation</span></a> and <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrofit</span></a> programme would be very welcome…but I would say that as I work to insulate social housing.</p><p>My concern is that any huge sum raised needs to be spent in such a way that it makes real impact on homes and is delivered well and at pace. That requires a skilled, dedicated workforce and less fragmentation and bureaucracy around the finance and process of it. </p><p>But that would require a serious look at the class tensions of the industry.</p>
Juggling With Eggs<p><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Farage" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Farage</span></a> thinks he can create DOGE style cuts at UK local authority level to remove those working in relation to <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/ClimateCrisis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ClimateCrisis</span></a> and diversity. </p><p>As the article suggests, there is not much left to cut.</p><p>Curious whether it will it include those working on social housing <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrofit</span></a> decarbonisation projects? </p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/03/unison-chief-tells-staff-at-reform-controlled-councils-to-sign-up-to-union" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/m</span><span class="invisible">ay/03/unison-chief-tells-staff-at-reform-controlled-councils-to-sign-up-to-union</span></a></p>
Juggling With Eggs<p>Many institutions and companies don’t invest in solar pv because they think it will take decades to recover the cost…but really they are missing a trick.</p><p><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Norwich" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Norwich</span></a> University of the Arts have just had a big install (186 panels) that is projected to pay for itself within just 7 years. </p><p><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/SolarPV" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SolarPV</span></a><br><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/SolarPunk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SolarPunk</span></a><br><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Retrofit</span></a></p><p><a href="https://norwichuni.ac.uk/news/the-big-switch-on-norwich-university-of-the-arts-powers-up-with-solar-energy/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">norwichuni.ac.uk/news/the-big-</span><span class="invisible">switch-on-norwich-university-of-the-arts-powers-up-with-solar-energy/</span></a>?</p>
IT News<p>A New Mechanical Keyboard for an Old Computer - As computers age, a dedicated few work towards keeping some of the more interestin... - <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/04/10/a-new-mechanical-keyboard-for-an-old-computer/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hackaday.com/2025/04/10/a-new-</span><span class="invisible">mechanical-keyboard-for-an-old-computer/</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/mechanicalkeyboard" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mechanicalkeyboard</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/retrocomputing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrocomputing</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/commodore64" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>commodore64</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/3dprinted" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>3dprinted</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/commodore" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>commodore</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/keyboard" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>keyboard</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrofit</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/pcb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>pcb</span></a></p>
Juggling With Eggs<p>Spent most of the day looking at photos which suggest retrofit designers have little idea of the practicalities of installing internal wall insulation into social housing properties…</p><p>- Fitted wall to wall wardrobes <br>- Ornate coving and cornicing <br>- Wallpaper <br>- Skirting boards with beading that perfectly match wooden floorboards <br>- Radiators on external walls </p><p>The idea that tenants will let you strip away all of this and put it back together on a shoestring is for the birds.</p><p><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Retrofit</span></a> <br><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/IWI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IWI</span></a></p>
Juggling With Eggs<p>I’m all for getting private landlords to increase the the EPC rating of their properties to a ‘C’…that’s where we were supposed to be by 2025, but the <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Tories" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Tories</span></a> never legislated for it. </p><p>Despite the puff of their press release, this is just another <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Labour" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Labour</span></a> consultation with an ambition to achieve it by 2030. </p><p>Less talk, more action needed. </p><p><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Retrofit</span></a><br><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Housing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Housing</span></a><br><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/EnergyEfficiency" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EnergyEfficiency</span></a></p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/warm-homes-and-cheaper-bills-as-government-accelerates-plan-for-change" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">gov.uk/government/news/warm-ho</span><span class="invisible">mes-and-cheaper-bills-as-government-accelerates-plan-for-change</span></a></p>
Juggling With Eggs<p>Currently exploring opportunities within the field of domestic <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrofit</span></a> and <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/sustainability" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>sustainability</span></a> within <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Norfolk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Norfolk</span></a> and <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Suffolk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Suffolk</span></a>. Would consider remote working as well. </p><p>If you are aware of potential project coordinator/administrator roles coming up in these fields please let me know. </p><p>Have experience from local council, housing association, private installer and activist perspective. </p><p>Particular area of interest and knowledge: retrofit in social housing and low income households. </p><p>Please boost!</p>
Juggling With Eggs<p>But working in <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrofit</span></a> in social housing, I have one massive bugbear about how those in power judge those whose homes are damp. </p><p>Postwar social housing was meanly and poorly built in cities. If you live in a cramped flat, with no outdoor space or very little on low income, how are you expected to dry your clothes outdoors? </p><p>Dehumidifiers are great if you can afford one. Going to the laundrette is fine if you have time and one nearby - they are few and far between even in my city.</p>
Juggling With Eggs<p>I spend about a third of my day typically talking about <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/ventilation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ventilation</span></a>. It’s the least sexy part of <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrofit</span></a>, but it’s vital if you increase insulation.</p><p>I got into this industry because I care about carbon emissions, lowering fuel bills…but also I hate what mould and damp does to people’s homes and lungs.</p><p>Condensation sounds less scary than black mould…but that’s what this article is really about preventing! </p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/jan/28/how-to-reduce-condensation-in-your-home" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">theguardian.com/money/2025/jan</span><span class="invisible">/28/how-to-reduce-condensation-in-your-home</span></a></p>
Juggling With Eggs<p>I believe we need a civil service, but what Bingham says about BEIS rings very true in my experience of it from a completely different field of <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrofit</span></a>, for which it also had responsibility.</p><p>How do we get the civil service we actually need?</p><p>This is an important question because it really matters at times of crisis…and climate breakdown is just as bigger crisis as <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Covid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Covid</span></a>, if not more so.</p>
IT News<p>Pico Pal Puts RP2350 Into Game Boy Color Shell - While modern gaming systems deliver ever more realistic experiences, there’s still... - <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/01/03/pico-pal-puts-rp2350-into-game-boy-color-shell/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hackaday.com/2025/01/03/pico-p</span><span class="invisible">al-puts-rp2350-into-game-boy-color-shell/</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/microcontrollers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>microcontrollers</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/handheldshacks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>handheldshacks</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/nintendohacks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>nintendohacks</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/gameboycolor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gameboycolor</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrofit</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/rp2350" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>rp2350</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/gbc" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gbc</span></a></p>
Juggling With Eggs<p>Alexandra Rd Estate, <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Camden" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Camden</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrofit</span></a> dilemma:</p><p>- Brutalist architecture<br>- Social housing <br>- Communal heating <br>- How to maintain?</p><p>Residents want to maintain integrity of original design. The homes are Grade II listed, iconic, used in numerous films. Also they don’t suffer from damp/mould and have flat rate billing. </p><p>But the council thinks the heating is costly and difficult to maintain. </p><p><a href="https://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/24788161.alexandra-road-estate-council-slammed-radiators-plan/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/2</span><span class="invisible">4788161.alexandra-road-estate-council-slammed-radiators-plan/</span></a></p>
IT News<p>Holiday Jukebox Gets ESP32, Home Assistant Support - If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that the only thing hardware hacker... - <a href="https://hackaday.com/2024/12/24/holiday-jukebox-gets-esp32-home-assistant-support/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hackaday.com/2024/12/24/holida</span><span class="invisible">y-jukebox-gets-esp32-home-assistant-support/</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/microcontrollers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>microcontrollers</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/homeautomation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>homeautomation</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/home" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>home</span></a>-assistant <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/holidayhacks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>holidayhacks</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/homehacks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>homehacks</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrofit</span></a> <a href="https://schleuss.online/tags/esp32" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>esp32</span></a></p>
Juggling With Eggs<p>But if they have had bothered to get this far into the article they would have seen a graph that makes it clear to the public, mainstream media how much the <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrofit</span></a> industry was cut to its knees by <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Tory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Tory</span></a> decision to ‘cut the green crap’</p><p>Loft and cavity wall insulations fell off a cliff between 2012 and 2013. Without the government putting in funding for these measures the industry withered away. We are having to start over…and <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Labour" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Labour</span></a> are sadly all just talk. The reality is more of the same.</p>
Juggling With Eggs<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mastodonapp.uk/@Badgardener" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>Badgardener</span></a></span> </p><p>True! I only did it for my own amusement - but sometimes I would like have genuine conversations about the purpose of <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrofit</span></a> work and it’s surprisingly hard to have those in the day to day work.</p>
Juggling With Eggs<p>I did something to amuse myself last night. I decided to post this story about how bad the situation is in the UK in terms of our cold, drafty homes that leave people in debt trying to heat them…to LinkedIn.</p><p>Most of my connections on there are people working in the <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>retrofit</span></a> industry. People who profess to care about <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/insulation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>insulation</span></a> and improving the energy efficiency of homes. </p><p>Tumbleweed. </p><p><a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/heating-uk-home-winter-insulation-cold-191422173.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">uk.news.yahoo.com/heating-uk-h</span><span class="invisible">ome-winter-insulation-cold-191422173.html</span></a>?</p>
Juggling With Eggs<p>I know writing a letter to a newspaper won’t change a damn thing…I don’t even know who bothers to read the letters page when we have BTL commenting on most articles.</p><p>But I could think of no other medium to express myself in response to <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Starmer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Starmer</span></a>’s words last week during <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Cop29" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Cop29</span></a> that he will “not [be] telling people how to live their lives”.</p><p><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Retrofit</span></a><br><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/CostOfLivingCrisis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CostOfLivingCrisis</span></a><br><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/FuelPoverty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FuelPoverty</span></a></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/18/making-homes-greener-isnt-nanny-statism" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">theguardian.com/environment/20</span><span class="invisible">24/nov/18/making-homes-greener-isnt-nanny-statism</span></a></p>
Juggling With Eggs<p><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Retrofit</span></a> is proven technology. It cuts emissions, bills and reduces chronic health conditions and even saves lives from extreme weather. </p><p>To boot for every pound spent by government on retrofit, according to Professor Sir Michael Marmot the Treasury saves £3. </p><p>What’s not to like about retrofit?!</p><p>Alas I fear the <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Labour" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Labour</span></a> government have decided it’s not a vote winner because to implement it they fear being seen as the nanny state. </p><p>Stop reading the Daily Fail <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Starmer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Starmer</span></a>.</p>
Juggling With Eggs<p>Simon Francis, a coordinator at the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: </p><p>“The only way to bring down bills permanently is through investment in insulation, home improvements, renewables and infrastructure which will free us from volatile gas prices for ever. But in the budget, the chancellor only confirmed half the spending commitment Labour pledged in their manifesto to the warm homes plan.”</p><p><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Retrofit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Retrofit</span></a> <br><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Budget2024" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Budget2024</span></a><br><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Labour" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Labour</span></a><br><a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/FuelPoverty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FuelPoverty</span></a></p>
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