Plan energy improvements as part of the whole home
Guidance reviewed 13 September 2026 · Planning information for homeowners in England
Start with the discomfort or performance problem you want to address: cold rooms, draughts, difficult controls, overheating or high energy use. Record the evidence and how the home is occupied before selecting a product. An older building’s fabric, moisture behaviour, services and significance should be considered together.
Repair and understand the building first
Historic England places maintenance and repair at the start of improving traditional buildings, and supports a whole-building approach to energy measures. Use an appropriately experienced adviser to understand condition and compatibility before specifying insulation, glazing or heating changes.
Record known damp, leaks, damaged rainwater goods and ventilation problems as investigation or repair questions. A new layer of material should not conceal an unresolved defect. This guide does not diagnose moisture or prescribe a fabric assembly.
Compare packages rather than isolated products
| Option to assess | Questions for the whole-building review |
|---|---|
| Repair and control improvements | What condition or operational issue is being addressed, and how will the outcome be checked? |
| Windows and doors | What can be repaired or improved, what historic fabric is affected and how will ventilation be maintained? |
| Insulation and draught reduction | What moisture, junction, ventilation and heritage implications must be designed together? |
| Heating and hot water | What demand, space, emitter, control and maintenance information is needed before equipment selection? |
| Renewable technologies | What suitability, location, consent and integration questions must be resolved for this property? |
Check heritage and approval constraints early
For a listed building, alterations affecting its special character require the appropriate consent. Ask the conservation/design adviser to establish what matters about the existing fabric and which approach is acceptable before committing to replacement or concealment. Conservation-area and other planning constraints must also be checked for the specific proposal.
Ask what the forecast depends on
Keep the survey/design basis, product information, assumptions about use, and any estimate date with the proposal. Ask the adviser to distinguish modelled savings from measured results and to explain uncertainty. A result from another house is not a guaranteed reduction in your bills.
Consider installation disruption, maintenance, repairability and future phases as well as purchase cost. If work is phased, ask the designer how later measures will connect to the current work without avoidable rework.
Plan controls, commissioning and follow-up
Agree the completion evidence for the chosen work and ask for a demonstration of controls and maintenance access. Record relevant installed details and care instructions in the handover file.
If you compare energy use before and after the work, record the comparison period and material changes in weather, occupancy and use. Keep comfort observations as well as bills; avoid attributing every difference to one upgrade.
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