Independent residential case-study note

Housing retrofit: using data to target the right homes

A government case study on an early-stage demonstrator using data and digital-twin methods to support housing-retrofit targeting and policy decisions.

GOV.UK / Department for Business and TradeIsle of WightReviewed 31 August 2026
Evidence status

Independent GOV.UK case study. It describes an early-stage demonstrator, not a completed national service or a Mayfair project.

Open the original source ↗

The demonstrator brought together retrofit companies, the local authority, third-sector organisations and NHS England to test data-driven identification and prioritisation.

How to use this evidence

Read the project for decisions, not promises.

A case study is most useful when its property, client, baseline, intervention and measurement boundary are understood.

Housing retrofit: using data to target the right homes is included because it exposes a useful property decision and identifies a published source that customers and project teams can inspect directly. It is not a template specification. Another building may differ in construction, condition, occupancy, access, statutory constraints, procurement route, energy use, budget and the evidence available before work begins.

The reported approach should therefore be translated into questions for the actual property. Confirm which elements were surveyed, retained, repaired or replaced; whether outcomes were measured, modelled or targeted; who controlled the project; and what period, sample or operational conditions sit behind any figure. Where the source does not provide an answer, that absence belongs in the decision record rather than being filled with an assumption.

Mayfair connects the evidence note to the Property Universe so the reader can move from inspiration to the relevant service, product, assessment, responsibility and delivery routes. Property AI can keep the source, property type and customer objective together while asking the next question that materially changes the recommendation.

Approach

What the source describes.

  1. 1

    Define user requirements before choosing data or technology.

  2. 2

    Determine the minimum data needed for the decision.

  3. 3

    Use playbooks, a carbon calculator and visualisation to support testing and stakeholder feedback.

Reported evidence

Outcomes and limits.

  • The source lists draft playbooks for user requirements and minimum data requirements.
  • Outputs included a draft carbon calculator and a visualisation tool.
  • The demonstrator was framed as an early-stage, scalable concept requiring pilot testing and iterative feedback.

Transferable learning

What another property team can take from it.

These lessons help shape questions. They do not guarantee the same outcome in another building.

  • Property technology should begin with a user and decision problem.
  • The minimum useful data can be more valuable than collecting everything.
  • Vulnerability, wellbeing and eligibility may change prioritisation beyond pure energy ranking.

Questions for another property

What must be established before applying the idea?

  • What is the building type, age, construction and current condition?
  • Which problem or outcome is being prioritised, and how is the baseline recorded?
  • Who owns, occupies, manages, funds and approves the affected property or system?
  • Which surveys, records, permissions and competent specialists are required?
  • Can the property remain occupied or operational while investigation and work proceed?
  • How will cost, disruption, safety, embodied impact and whole-life performance be compared?

Evidence limits

What this case note does not establish.

  • It does not prove that the same intervention is suitable for another property.
  • It does not turn a reported target or model into guaranteed measured performance.
  • It does not replace inspection, design, permissions, procurement or professional responsibility.
  • It does not establish current supplier availability, programme, price or serviceability.
  • It does not attribute the project to Mayfair or imply endorsement by the original publisher.
  • It does not remove the need to read the complete source and its stated limitations.

Apply the learning carefully

A five-stage evidence-to-property route.

Keep the original case, the actual property and the proposed delivery scope separate until the evidence supports a connection.

  1. 1

    Define the customer outcome, property, occupiers and the operational or personal constraint that matters most.

  2. 2

    Read the original source and record which facts are reported, measured, modelled, targeted or left unstated.

  3. 3

    Survey the actual property and compare construction, condition, systems, access, responsibility and permissions.

  4. 4

    Develop realistic options with scope, exclusions, cost factors, disruption, risks and a way to verify completion or performance.

  5. 5

    Confirm the appropriate Mayfair, supplier or qualified-professional route before any commitment is made.

Connected Property Universe routes

Turn the learning into the right next question.

Open a related route to check scope, property fit, cost factors, responsibility and evidence for the actual requirement.

familyProperty technologyBuilding technology, controls, connectivity, data, automation and smart property systems. Explore the main property technology categories, exact needs and connected property routes for homeowners, residents, landlords and residential property teams.categorySmart systemsSmart systems brings together the main property technology decisions for homeowners, residents, landlords and residential property teams. Compare relevant disciplines, property situations, scope factors and the specific routes available before making an enquiry.subcategoryConnected controlsExplore connected controls within smart systems. This page explains common requirements, important property and access considerations, cost drivers, suitable alternatives and the exact services or goods available.categoryDigital infrastructureDigital infrastructure brings together the main property technology decisions for homeowners, residents, landlords and residential property teams. Compare relevant disciplines, property situations, scope factors and the specific routes available before making an enquiry.

Connected planning articles

Go deeper into scope, cost and comparison.

These articles turn the broad lessons into customer-facing planning questions linked to the same property domain.

planning guideProperty technology: what to check before you startA practical UK property guide to the information, responsibilities, access, compatibility and professional checks that matter before property technology proceeds.cost guideProperty technology costs: the factors that change the scopeUnderstand the property, specification, access, timing and delivery variables that shape the cost of property technology before asking for tailored guidance.comparison guideProperty technology: compare the main property routesCompare the most useful service, supply, repair, replacement and professional routes connected to property technology without starting from a trade name.planning guideSmart systems: what to check before you startA practical UK property guide to the information, responsibilities, access, compatibility and professional checks that matter before smart systems proceeds.cost guideSmart systems costs: the factors that change the scopeUnderstand the property, specification, access, timing and delivery variables that shape the cost of smart systems before asking for tailored guidance.comparison guideSmart systems: compare the main property routesCompare the most useful service, supply, repair, replacement and professional routes connected to smart systems without starting from a trade name.

Primary source

Read the evidence in context.

Mayfair’s note is a summary. The publisher’s page or report remains the authoritative source for the project claims.

GOV.UK / Department for Business and TradeRetrofitting in housing: National Digital Twin ProgrammeOriginal publication · 2023-10-30

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