Energy, Retrofit & Architecture Insights

Industry newswire

Retrofit, energy efficiency and housing policy — live from GOV.UK, Elmhurst, the Energy Saving Trust and CIBSE.

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Landlords19 August 2026·6 min read

MEES and the EPC rules every UK landlord needs to know

The C-equivalent deadline is now set for 1 October 2030, the cost cap has risen to £10,000, and a second standard applies. What that means in practice.

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Warm Homes19 August 2026·5 min read

Fuel poverty in London is a certificate problem too

An EPC band is not an abstraction. It is a fairly direct statement about how much it costs to keep a home at a healthy temperature.

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EPC Guides18 August 2026·5 min read

How much does an EPC cost in London in 2026?

What a domestic EPC actually costs in London, why quotes vary so much, and the add-ons worth refusing.

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Retrofit18 August 2026·5 min read

Only 27% of a flagship retrofit scheme delivered — and why that matters to you

An £800m programme to upgrade 94,000 social homes has reached barely a quarter of its target. The reasons are worth understanding before you plan your own work.

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EPC Guides16 August 2026·5 min read

Do I need an EPC to sell my house? The rules, the timing and what solicitors ask for

When the certificate has to exist, who is responsible for getting it, and the timing mistake that delays completion.

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EPC Guides14 August 2026·4 min read

My EPC has expired — do I need a new one?

How to check whether yours is still valid, what expiry actually means, and when you genuinely need a fresh assessment.

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Home Improvements14 August 2026·5 min read

Awaab's Law a year on — and why insulating without ventilating makes mould worse

The law set enforceable timescales for damp and mould. The building physics that causes it did not change, and it is widely misunderstood.

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EPC Guides13 August 2026·4 min read

Scotland moves first on EPC reform while England and Wales wait

Two systems, two timetables, one increasingly confused public. What the divergence means if you own property on both sides of the border.

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Retrofit12 August 2026·5 min read

MPs on retrofitting homes for net zero — the findings worth your ten minutes

A select committee report on home retrofit is not light reading, but the delivery problems it identifies are the same ones homeowners hit one house at a time.

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EPC Guides10 August 2026·6 min read

How to improve your EPC rating from D to C

The measures that genuinely move a rating, in order of value, and the ones generic advice keeps recommending that will not work on a London home.

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EPC Guides8 August 2026·5 min read

What actually happens during an EPC assessment

What the assessor measures, what they photograph, how long it takes, and how to get a fair result.

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Home Improvements7 August 2026·5 min read

From 30 November 2026, excess cold becomes a legal hazard

Phase 2 of Awaab's Law widens the regime well beyond damp and mould — and puts a cold home on the same footing as an electrical fault.

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Retrofit6 August 2026·6 min read

PAS 2035 explained: what a retrofit assessment actually involves

The standard behind every funded retrofit in the UK, what the assessment covers, and why it exists at all.

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Retrofit5 August 2026·5 min read

15 million homes need insulation — here is where a London terrace actually sits

The Climate Change Committee's numbers are national and abstract. Translated to one Victorian house, they become a short and quite specific list.

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Sustainability5 August 2026·2 min read

Solar Power for Homes: A Brighter Future

Understanding the implications of Google’s solar project for UK homeowners and landlords.

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Retrofit5 August 2026·2 min read

How a Victorian Mid-Terrace Got a Makeover

Discover what it takes to transform an old home and how you can benefit too.

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Retrofit5 August 2026·2 min read

Retrofit Roadmap Unveiled: What Landlords Should Do Next

The government’s new plan for private rented sector properties sets a clear path to energy efficiency by 2030. Here’s what you need to know.

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Retrofit5 August 2026·2 min read

Leicester's Warm Home Scheme: A Practical Guide for Property Owners

Discover what the government’s new scheme means for your home and how you can benefit.

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Sustainability5 August 2026·2 min read

Community Batteries and Solar: A Bright Future for UK Homes

Discover how these new initiatives can help you save money and reduce your carbon footprint.

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Sustainability5 August 2026·2 min read

UK Energy Efficiency: What You Need to Know

Discover how improving your home's energy efficiency can help you save money and reduce carbon emissions.

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Architecture5 August 2026·2 min read

CAT’s Quarry Cottages: A Step Closer to a Greener Future

Discover what this planning application means for property owners and how you can make your home more sustainable.

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Architecture5 August 2026·2 min read

Prefab Timber Buildings: What You Need to Know

Discover how prefabricated timber structures can benefit UK property owners with insights from an international project.

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Home Improvements3 August 2026·4 min read

Stacking solar, battery and heat pump — what the EPC actually rewards

A record number of households are combining technologies. The certificate treats them very differently from one another, and it is worth knowing which before you spend.

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Retrofit2 August 2026·6 min read

How retrofit contracts are awarded — frameworks, ECO4 obligations and how assessors get on them

Where the work in UK retrofit actually comes from, how the money reaches an installer, and what an assessor needs to be part of it.

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New Build31 July 2026·5 min read

New build EPCs: SAP calculations, Predicted Energy Assessments and on-construction certificates

Why new homes get two different documents, what a PEA is worth, and the certificate buyers of new flats keep paying for twice.

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New Build29 July 2026·5 min read

The Future Homes Standard and what it means for new build ratings

What the standard is intended to do, why gas boilers are the headline, and what it changes for buyers and for assessors.

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Retrofit29 July 2026·4 min read

Decarbonising our homes: the ventilation point that keeps getting skipped

Making a house airtight without giving the moisture somewhere to go is how well-intentioned retrofit produces mould. It is also the most common mistake we see.

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EPC Guides27 July 2026·6 min read

Why London homes score differently: solid walls, conversions and the 1920 line

Three things about London housing that decide most ratings here, and why generic online advice so often does not apply.

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Daily News27 July 2026·2 min read

Elmhurst Brings Vuabl LiDAR Floor Plan Scanning to RdSAP Go

The post Elmhurst Brings Vuabl LiDAR Floor Plan Scanning to RdSAP Go appeared first on Elmhurst Energy.

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Daily News27 July 2026·2 min read

8 Reasons Why a Home Energy Retrofit Is One of the Smartest Investments UK Homeowners Can Make

TL;DR: Making your home energy efficient isn’t just a home improvement. It’s a strategic investment. From lower energy bills and increased property value to greater comfort and climate resilience, a Whole House Plan offers UK homeowners long-term ...

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Daily News27 July 2026·2 min read

Planning for Retirement? Make Energy Upgrades Part of Your Home Improvement Strategy

TL;DR: If you’re planning for retirement, don’t overlook your home’s energy performance. Upgrading insulation, heating, ventilation, and glazing can reduce bills, improve comfort, and future-proof your home, making it easier and more affordable to...

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Daily News27 July 2026·2 min read

Mind The Gap: Cotality’s analysis reveals retrofit awareness is high, but action is low. Ecofurb is here to change that.

We’ve all heard the message – retrofitting your home can cut energy bills, reduce carbon emissions, and make your house more comfortable year-round. And even better, most UK homeowners seem to be on board with the idea. But here’s the catch – whil...

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Daily News27 July 2026·2 min read

What Andy Burnham’s UK Leadership Bid Could Mean for Retrofit, Net Zero and Housing Policy

The post What Andy Burnham’s UK Leadership Bid Could Mean for Retrofit, Net Zero and Housing Policy appeared first on Elmhurst Energy.

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Daily News27 July 2026·2 min read

CarbonLite Retrofit: Why Go Beyond Building Regs?

We’re pleased to share this recent interview from the National Self Build & Renovation Centre, featuring our very own Tim Martel discussing the CarbonLite Standards. In this short video, Tim explains what sits behind […]

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Daily News27 July 2026·2 min read

New research shows fuel poverty in the Highlands is “unacceptably high”

New research shows fuel poverty in the Highlands is “unacceptably high”

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Daily News27 July 2026·2 min read

Fear of ‘cowboy builders’ holding homeowners back from home improvements that cut energy bills

Fear of ‘cowboy builders’ holding homeowners back from home improvements that cut energy bills

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Home Improvements22 July 2026·4 min read

The Housing Ombudsman on damp — lessons that apply to private homes too

The Ombudsman's damp and mould casework is about social landlords. The failures it identifies are the same ones homeowners make on their own property.

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EPC Guides30 March 2026·4 min read

The NRLA is right — reaching C now is worth more than waiting

Another timeline pushback, another temptation to do nothing. The landlords' association makes the arithmetic case for the opposite, and it holds up.

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Retrofit24 March 2026·4 min read

The retrofit skills gap is now delaying government policy itself

The NRLA warned that a shortage of qualified people was making EPC reform undeliverable on time. Weeks later, the timetable moved.

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EPC Guides20 March 2026·4 min read

Our accreditation body on the EPC delay — and why our advice has not changed

Elmhurst Energy accredits us. Their read on the postponement is measured, and it points at the thing landlords should actually be doing.

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EPC Guides16 March 2026·5 min read

EPC reform delayed to the second half of 2027 — what changes for you now

The four-metric certificate was due in October 2026. It is not coming then. Here is what that does and does not change.

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Home Improvements20 February 2026·5 min read

250,000 heat pumps in — and the London terrace question

The UK passed a genuine milestone. Whether your own house is ready for one is a different question, with a fairly reliable answer.

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Warm Homes11 February 2026·5 min read

£15bn and the end of ECO4 — reading the small print of the Warm Homes Plan

The announcement was about money arriving. The detail includes something ending, and the gap between the two is where households get caught.

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EPC Guides10 February 2026·6 min read

Four metrics instead of one letter — what a reformed EPC will show

The government's partial consultation response confirms what a reformed certificate measures. It is a better instrument, and it will be harder to game.

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Warm Homes6 February 2026·5 min read

New rented-sector standards: what landlords should do first

Private renters are the most likely to live in cold, damp homes. The new standards are aimed squarely at that, and the sensible landlord response is to start early.

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Warm Homes2 February 2026·6 min read

The Warm Homes Plan, translated for a London household

£15bn over five years, five million homes and a new national agency. What actually reaches your doormat, and when.

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Warm Homes28 January 2026·4 min read

A new Warm Homes Agency — who you will actually be dealing with

For years, funded home upgrades meant navigating a maze of schemes with different rules. A single delivery body is a genuine improvement, if it works.

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