The review called ‘Adapting Historic Homes for Energy Efficiency’, which is part of the Government’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050, investigated methods and solutions to remove barriers and improve energy efficiency in historic homes, cutting energy bills for households across the country.
Historic properties
Historic properties make up a significant proportion of the UK’s building stock. With 5.9 million buildings constructed before 1919, these homes are disproportionally affected by the lack of available energy efficiency options due to issues such as planning permissions and building restrictions.
Historic England’s Local Authority Staffing Survey (2023) found that owners of listed buildings and homes in conservation areas wanted clear advice on insulation, boilers and heating systems, heat pumps, draft-proofing, replacing or adapting windows, and installing solar panels.
Through cross-government and stakeholder engagement, the review identified several themes that required further attention and should be seen as enablers of effective historic homes retrofit, including:
- The planning system.
- Local authority skills, training, and capacity.
- Guidance and information.
- Construction industry skills, training, and capacity.
- Affordability and financial incentives.
The review was developed in partnership with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, supported by Historic England.
There are a number of next steps that have resulted from the review and are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adapting-historic-homes-for-energy-efficiency-a-review-of-the-barriers/adapting-historic-homes-for-energy-efficiency-a-review-of-the-barriers
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