Energy efficiency and historic buildings

The Essex Design Guide (EDG) and Historic England have put together a number of guides on how to retrofit historic buildings to improve their sustainability. These provide advice on both small and large changes you can make to reduce the carbon footprint of many historic buildings.
 

Why improve energy efficiency

Improving the energy efficiency of a historic building can lead to:

• reduced carbon emissions and fuel bills
• improved comfort levels
• complying with statutory requirements such as Part L of the Building Regulations or the Private Rented Sector Regulations
   

General guidance

The Planning Portal has general advice on how you can save energy in your home.
 

The Essex Design Guide

The EDG Climate Change and the Historic Environment guidance focuses on how improvements can be made to historic buildings to reduce their carbon impact whilst retaining the integrity of these historic structures. 

The guide includes:

• an overview of the historic buildings typically found in Essex
• guidance on energy efficiency and historic buildings
• advice on the planning decision process
• ways of working towards reducing the carbon footprint of different historic buildings
• case studies of completed work found within Essex
   

Historic England guides

Historic England has put together some overarching guidance on How to Improve Energy Efficiency. This sets out their 'whole building approach' which considers:

• context
• construction
• condition
• historic significance
• an understanding of all the factors that affect energy use, and
• how to devise an energy efficiency strategy for any building

Historic England also have a number of free to download publications.

Energy efficiency and historic buildings

The energy efficiency and historic buildings guides on the Historic England site include focussed technical advice and guidance on improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings.

Traditional windows

Historic England's Traditional windows: their care, repair and upgrading guidance covers both timber and metal windows and is aimed at building professionals and property owners.

Saving energy

Improving the energy efficiency of your home, whether it's listed, in a conservation area or built before 1919, can be done sympathetically and without compromising its historic character. Historic England's resource pages offer advice on how you can go about saving energy in your home.