New drone tech proves insulation works and saves residents £500 a year
Innovative drone technology is helping us independently prove the real impact of energy efficiency improvements in social housing.
Published: 06/02/2026
The approach addresses a long-standing challenge in the retrofit sector of how to verify the success and value of energy-efficiency work. The results show that well-delivered upgrades, such as loft insulation and solar panels, can cut residents’ heating costs by more than £500 a year.
We have been working with technology company Kestrix, using its cutting-edge technology and AI-powered drone cameras and analysis to measure heat loss from residents’ homes. The thermal images taken before insulation was installed and then again after, provide a non-intrusive way to check the work has been carried out correctly. As it is all done from the outside, it can be done quickly across a larger number of homes at once.
The government last month released details of its Warm Homes Plan aimed at helping millions of people benefit from energy efficiency improvements such as insulation, solar panels, batteries, and heat pumps. Better insulation reduces the need for as much heating, making it easier and cheaper for residents, many of whom are already struggling with the high cost-of-living, to keep their homes warm.
Richard Ellis, Director of Sustainability at Peabody, said: “We know energy bills are a real concern for residents, so being able to prove that investment in insulation and solar panels is making a real difference to people’s lives is immensely valuable.”
In partnership with Kestrix and United Infrastructure, we were awarded £240,000 from Innovate UK in October 2023 to develop what the UK’s innovation agency described as ‘game-changing technology’. Since then, we’ve worked together to test Kestrix’s RetroSPECT service, capturing and analysing visual and thermal images of residents’ homes before and after insulation and solar panels were installed.
As well as proving how well the insulation works, the images showed a reduction in carbon emissions of 1.3 tonnes CO₂e a year per home - that’s the same as driving a petrol car from London to Edinburgh and back eight times. Kestrix estimates the insulation could save each home £325 a year in heating bills, while the solar panels will save residents a further £195 a year each. Together these savings add up to around £520 a year - money that stays in residents’ pockets.
Lucy Lyons, CEO at Kestrix, said: “The project shows not only the power that energy-saving works can have in improving people’s lives, but the opportunity we have as a sector to use technology to verify outcomes more quickly and cost effectively to build trust in the industry.”
We’re responsible for over 109,000 homes and in the year to the end of March 2025 spent £431m maintaining and improving them for residents. This includes £27m on energy saving measures, such as insulation, solar panels, and new windows. More than 81 percent of residents’ homes now have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C or above, meaning they’re easier to keep warm and require less heating.