Sparks of 2026: #15 Lendology: Putting Retrofit Funding In Reach
They say that trust is a huge issue in retrofit. They'd be right. But brass tacks, brutal truth - most of us don't have the pennies in our pockets to fork out for a deep retrofit.
From the Centre for Sustainable Energy to Citizens Advice, the advisers talk about the gaps, the funding gap, the trust gap and the spark gap.
Lendology fixes the funding gap. And not just a little bit. A lot. In they do it with your local council as a partner.
If you apply through their home improvement or energy upgrade schemes you can receive up to £15,000 of loan at an incredible 4.2% interest rate for up to 15 years.
What does that mean to a homeowner?
Well in my own case, that means with a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant and clever use of insulation to improve my fabric, I'd actually be paying less for instalments on my loan + energy bills, than just my existing energy bills - and that's with a heat pump, solar PV and battery installation.
How does this even work? Solar PV is getting incredibly affordable, and the storage market it literally expanding at a mind boggling speed. And heat pumps, especially with a guaranteed SCOP from Heat Geek, are so efficient.
Lendology take a look at your credit score, but they can handle low scores - they look at the state of your home, but they can still fund you even if the property is currently vacant - and most importantly - the funding is at such a low rate of interest - it's incomparable to credit card or bank financing.
I've meet the team from Lendology - and they are go getters. Emma Lower their Chief Exec has been interviewed by the magazine - she's one of those leaders that radiates calm, directed, remorseless enthusiasm. Her spirit is inspiring.
Lendology is too. Their financing option is an incredible tool, making funding retrofit more easy - in fact I think they will get a ton of business in 2026. So they are our no #15 in the Sparks of 2026.
A financing option to look out for.