Ben Williams, leader of WPS’ retrofit services, reflects on why a purpose-led career is something to thrive for.
In the first of our series spotlighting those who are putting our purpose of reimagining places for people to thrive into action, we spoke to Ben Williams, Head of Net Zero Carbon.
In a career spanning over two decades with WPS, Ben progressed from graduate to becoming instrumental in the establishment of the service to retrofit homes with energy efficiency measures – including fabric measures and renewables – and has been involved in more than 40 programmes to deliver thousands of EPC C + social homes nationally.
Ben shared some insights into why this role has been personally and professionally rewarding to him, as well as residents that have benefitted from the work.
Helping to create thriving places
“It’s certainly rewarding to be part of a team that’s helping to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges: making homes warmer, healthier and cheaper to heat, while reducing carbon emissions.
“Since bringing the service to market a little over five years ago, it’s grown exponentially from retrofitting 200 properties in 2021 to being on track to have completed more than 7,500 homes during early 2026, with a further 12,000 in the pipeline. This will have a huge impact on people living in social homes, ensuring places are not just warmer, but also healthier – as energy efficiency measures also reduce the risk of damp and mould that can lead to serious health issues.
“It also reduces energy bills with savings of up to 20% off costs annually and up to 96% emissions reduction per home – great news for the climate and supporting lower bills, and in some cases, helping people out of fuel poverty.”
Building greener homes and skills
“The benefits of the work our teams have carried out also extend far beyond just the homes we have made more energy efficient. Our programmes have generated millions in social value, created local jobs and strengthened supply chains. For example, our work in Wolverhampton to transform 321 hard-to-treat homes generated £2.4 million in social value and created 83 local jobs.
“And a growing retrofit labour market means it’s crucial for the industry to have the right expertise to meet the UK’s targets to net zero. That’s why we’ve invested in green skills development to ensure we can deliver decarbonisation at scale.
“This has included upskilling our workforce through a learning partnership with Greenworkx to ensure our team are able to deliver excellent quality retrofits, as well as helping our Resident Liaison Officers better understand the work by arranging visits to our renewable manufacturers, so they can confidently explain the benefits to residents.
“In recent years, we’ve developed and supported Domestic Energy Assessor and Retrofit Assessor courses for Clarion residents, helping them access new career opportunities and overcome the cost barriers of the training.
“We’re offering green skills training and apprenticeships and are currently in the process of setting up skills development centres local to our teams in Liberty – watch this space for more on that!”
Shaping the future
“I’m privileged to work collaboratively with industry bodies such as the National Homes Decarbonisation Group (NHDG) and the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), which has given me the chance to be involved in defining best practice, innovation and policy that will underpin the UK’s transition to net zero.
“For example, I recently took part in a parliamentary roundtable on ensuring quality in retrofit, while I’m also proud to be driving industry change on sustainability, being involved in projects such as the UK Green Building Council’s Regenerative Places programme, which focuses on place-based retrofit strategies to enhance local network capacity. I’m also involved in driving innovation, working with Energy Systems Catapult on a project to use live performance data to support decision making, unlock private finance and measure impact.
“And purpose isn’t confined to the workplace – I enjoy getting involved in volunteering, and I’m lucky to have had the opportunity to be involved in plenty over my years with WPS. Having done a charity skydive in aid of the Chartered Institute of Housing’s charities, it was a relief to take part in something a little more grounded this year, when we joined the Cook for Good project to prepare food for London soup kitchens.
“For me, knowing that my contribution is positively impacting the lives of others is rewarding. Whether that’s through improvements to social homes, shaping the industry or supporting communities to thrive – it’s more than a job, it’s a career, and I can’t wait to see what the next chapters will bring.”
Looking for a purpose-led role? Find out about our career opportunities.
