The UK’s Minister for Energy Consumers, Martin McCluskey MP, is delivering a keynote address at the National Retrofit Conference 2026, as the event unveils its full programme for 12 to 14 May at ExCeL London as part of Futurebuild 2026.

The minister is set to speak on the morning of 13 May, placing national retrofit delivery and the Government’s Warm Homes agenda at the centre of the conference programme. His appearance will bring together senior policymakers, city leaders and industry partners responsible for delivering large scale energy efficiency upgrades across the UK.

Senior figures from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Greater London Authority and major city regions will also headline the programme. 

Selvin Brown, Director for Net Zero Buildings at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, will open the conference with ‘Warm Homes, Fair Futures: Delivering on the UK’s Net Zero and Fuel Poverty Goals’. Mete Coban MBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy, will join city and combined authority leaders shaping large scale retrofit delivery across the capital and beyond.

As the Government begins rolling out the Warm Homes Plan, the three-day conference will be one of the first major national gatherings in 2026 to bring together central government, combined authorities, local authorities, housing providers, procurement teams and delivery partners responsible for turning commitments into contracts and upgrades on the ground.

Curated by The Retrofit Academy, the UK’s driving force in retrofit skills and knowledge, the programme reflects the growing role of city regions in delivering energy efficiency and decarbonisation at scale. Sessions dedicated to retrofit delivery and devolution across the UK unite Greater Manchester, Scotland, London, the Midlands, the North East, North Yorkshire, Bristol and the West. 

The programme also addresses investment and system reform. ‘Building Business Cases: Creating Risk Assessed, Investable Pipelines’, featuring Andy Sutton of SERO and Tim Meanock of Tallarna, will explore how retrofit programmes can become investment ready. ‘Transforming Retrofit’, with Emily Braham of Energiesprong UK and Sara Edmonds of the National Retrofit Hub, focuses on delivering one million home energy upgrades every year by 2030.

‘Delivering Quality Retrofit Every Time’ will bring together Deborah Chittenden of DESNZ, Ian Rippin of MCS and Jon Vanstone of NHIC to address competence, standards and long-term performance.

Innovation is highlighted through The Big Retrofit Challenge, hosted by the NHDG, Innovate UK and Futurebuild. The challenge sees organisations pitch practical retrofit solutions live to a panel of expert judges, accelerating collaboration and helping bring scalable ideas to market.

David Pierpoint, Chief Executive of The Retrofit Academy, said: “Retrofit has reached a point where ambition must turn into delivery. With the Warm Homes Plan raising expectations across the sector, the 2026 programme has been shaped to focus on what works, what must change and how we deliver high quality outcomes at scale.”

Martin Hurn, Event Director at Futurebuild, added: “The National Retrofit Conference is a central part of Futurebuild 2026 and has become the leading meeting point for organisations serious about decarbonising homes. As the Warm Homes Plan moves into delivery, this event brings together the policy makers, city leaders and industry partners who are responsible for making it happen.”

The full programme is available online here: https://www.futurebuild.co.uk/national-retrofit-conference-programme