Sustainability Award
PwC helped to deliver a national retrofit programme upgrading buildings with energy efficient measures. The programme cut bills, delivered carbon savings and proved a scalable UK model for high quality, well assured climate action.
The UK faces a major challenge in improving the energy efficiency of its building stock, particularly for people most exposed to high energy costs and the health impacts of cold, damp environments. To address this, a UK public sector body launched major retrofit programmes designed to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy performance and support better outcomes for communities most affected by rising energy prices. Delivery was devolved to a diverse group of public and non-profit delivery bodies, whose capability, supply-chain access and local delivery contexts varied widely. The public sector bodies overseeing the programme needed a national model that could maintain pace and standards, provide assurance and consumer protection, and rapidly identify and resolve risks across a complex portfolio.
PwC was engaged to mobilise and lead a scalable Delivery Partner model capable of supporting consistent, high-quality delivery across England. Within a month, PwC assembled a 100-strong consortium team, including specialist engineering partners, bringing together expertise in programme management, financial assurance, fraud and error prevention, and technical retrofit. The model combined national governance and portfolio control with local presence, enabling Project Managers to work closely with delivery bodies and understand local market constraints. Clear escalation routes, weekly touchpoints and targeted interventions ensured that risks were identified early and addressed before they became systemic.
A structured monitoring and assurance framework strengthened quality, compliance and consumer protection. PwC introduced evidence checks, reconciliation processes and risk-based assurance to protect public funds and ensure value for money. The team also embedded clearer stakeholder-engagement expectations, accredited quality requirements and PAS-aligned technical assurance, improving installation standards and end-user experience. AI and advanced analytics accelerated evidence review, change control and fraud-risk triage, saving hundreds of hours and enabling programme leads to focus on the highest-impact issues.
The Delivery Partner model has delivered significant impact. To date, the schemes have achieved 0.215Mt CO₂e savings, equivalent to taking more than 110,000 petrol cars off the road for a year, contributing directly to climate action. The schemes have also supported meaningful energy cost reductions for people most in need, helping ease cost pressures and support wider health and wellbeing outcomes. PwC has supported 191 projects nationally and enabled approximately £1bn of funding to be delivered with strong assurance. Through evidence checks and fraud-risk triage, the team identified and prevented 2–3% of potential fraud and error. A targeted risk-based intervention model, mobilised in just three weeks, unlocked delivery barriers and contributed to a 14% uplift in the number of buildings upgraded.
The engagement has strengthened national retrofit capability, improved supply-chain confidence and established a repeatable, scalable model for delivering building decarbonisation at pace. The public sector bodies involved now have clearer portfolio visibility, stronger governance and more consistent delivery standards. The model has become a preferred approach for future retrofit schemes, demonstrating that robust assurance, consumer protection and value for money can be achieved while delivering high-quality upgrades that reduce emissions, lower costs and improve lives.
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