-
Search the archive
-
IHBC’S NewsBlogs usually only summarise third party reports. Links to other sites may not be active so you may need to contact the host site for the original text.
Unless made explicit, IHBC NewsBlogs are not IHBC endorsements.
Categories
Monthly archive
Links
-
Recent posts
- IHBC welcomes COTAC’s new ‘Developing Personal Competences’ volume: Insight 2 – ‘…for those seeking re-accreditation…’ 15/09/2026
- IHBC hosts stall in Belfast’s Assembly Buildings, 28/09: Part of Heritage Network NI Conference: 27-29 September 15/09/2026
- IHBC launches ‘Early Career Network’ with calls to join up, as new Working Group explores plans for support and services 15/09/2026
- Don’t need your paper Context? Do everyone a favour and pass it on, ‘Spreading the Word’ to help the Conservation Professional! 15/09/2026
- IHBC’s ‘Practice’ CPD Signpost: HE Guidance on ‘Control of Microorganisms in Historic Buildings’ 15/09/2026
- IHBC HESPR’s ‘News from the Sector’….IHBC sponsors Gardens Trust on ‘New Town Landscapes,’ 23-24/09, Milton Keynes 15/09/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Albert Bridge gets fresh paint job during repair closure 15/09/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Historic status ruled out for Edinburgh block earmarked for demolition 15/09/2026
- TownsWeb digitisation grant: SPAB at 150… ‘from Stonehenge to St Mark’s, Venice’ 15/09/2026
- CITB on ‘Why construction skills strategies must become place-based’ 15/09/2026
- UK Heritage Pulse on ‘Skills Exchange Request the skills you need. Offer the ones you have 15/09/2026
- Charity Commission issues ‘Research and analysis Charity Sector Risk Assessment 2026’ 15/09/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: Robots could harvest lava from volcanic eruptions to make ‘concrete’ of the future 15/09/2026
- IHBC’s newest ‘Branch Committee Bulletin, from the IHBC’s Director’: IHBC’s national updates for local volunteer leads – Part 1 11/09/2026
- IHBC hosts stall in Belfast’s Assembly Buildings, 28/09: Part of Heritage Network NI Conference: 27-29 September 11/09/2026
- IHBC welcomes RICHeS Access Fund second call, opening 14/09 – ‘access… cutting-edge equipment, collections & expertise’, to £20K, for charities, social enterprises, commercial companies etc. 11/09/2026
- Join IHBC’s Membership Assessors now and ‘Shape our Conservation Professionals of the future’, with CPD, status, compensation, and more as thanks and benefits 11/09/2026
- IHBC’s ‘Management’ CPD Signpost: Some sector takes on the NPPF 11/09/2026
- IHBC’s ‘Practice’ CPD Signpost: Dry Stone Walling Association issues Anthology of International Writing, from past and present, for the future’ 11/09/2026
- IHBC Director’ from HESPR’s £5.25m ongoing costed works: Heritage Estate body seeks condition surveys etc, to 09/09 11/09/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Plans to transform South Lanarkshire former mining village 11/09/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Mentmore Towers: Council orders owner to repair ‘exceptional’ grade I mansion 11/09/2026
- HES Chief quits amid deepening governance crisis 11/09/2026
- Heritage Fund & HE: Understanding the impact of climate change on historic parks, gardens and cemeteries 11/09/2026
- HES launches pilot fund to support Scotland’s historic places of worship: Opens Autumn 2026 11/09/2026
Tag Archives: energy
Government UK reports on Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) accuracy research project
Government UK reports on a project that ‘compared modelled energy use with monitoring data to identify inaccuracies in EPCs and propose improvements.’
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged climate change, data, energy, EPCs, government, research
Comments Off on Government UK reports on Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) accuracy research project
SFO launches public appeal as it investigates three companies delivering ECO4 contracts over suspected home heating & insulation fraud
The SFO launches public appeal and searches six sites across the UK as it announces new investigation into three companies delivering ECO4 contracts
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged appeal, energy, fraud, investigation
Comments Off on SFO launches public appeal as it investigates three companies delivering ECO4 contracts over suspected home heating & insulation fraud
Defra on England’s first Land Use Framework ‘plans to reshape how we protect and manage our land’
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs reports on England’s first Land Use Framework, setting out a plan for ‘managing the country’s finite land to ensure the nation’s long-term resilience’.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, energy, environment, food, framework, government, land, nature, planning, rural
Comments Off on Defra on England’s first Land Use Framework ‘plans to reshape how we protect and manage our land’
IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: £40m plan to cut carbon emissions at 35 public buildings in Liverpool City Region
image for illustration: George’s Dock building, Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Liverpool’s world-famous waterfront is set to benefit from a £40m investment to cut carbon emissions at 35 public buildings across the City reports Liverpool City Region.
Posted in IHBC NewsBlog
Tagged carbon, climage change, conservation, energy, environment, Liverpool
Comments Off on IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: £40m plan to cut carbon emissions at 35 public buildings in Liverpool City Region
IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: Launch of ICOMOS Report on the Implementation of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
On 20 January 2026, the ICOMOS Expert Group on EPBD (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive) Implementation launched the ICOMOS Report on the Implementation of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
Posted in IHBC NewsBlog
Tagged buildings, energy, europe, global, heritage, ICOMOS, sustainability
Comments Off on IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: Launch of ICOMOS Report on the Implementation of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
National Retrofit Hub on ‘Health, place & retrofit’: Findings and recommendations for change
A National Retrofit Hub paper highlights how retrofit policy and delivery often focus narrowly on technical performance and energy metrics, when ‘enabling communities to have a… say… is critical to delivering lasting benefits.’
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged conservation, energy, expertise, government, place, retrofit, skills
Comments Off on National Retrofit Hub on ‘Health, place & retrofit’: Findings and recommendations for change
IHBC’s ‘Practice (Retrofit)’ Signpost: How RDSAP 10.2 impacts EPC assessments in traditional buildings – an Engine Shed blog
image for illustration: Edinburgh Tenements – Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Energy performance certificates (EPCs) tell us how energy efficient our buildings are, but the way these certificates are generated has changed, reports Moses Jenkins for … Continue reading
Posted in IHBC NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, conservation, energy, environment, expertise, government, heritage, planning, Scotland, skills
Comments Off on IHBC’s ‘Practice (Retrofit)’ Signpost: How RDSAP 10.2 impacts EPC assessments in traditional buildings – an Engine Shed blog
BEFS 2026 Manifesto: Building Foundations for a Better Scotland
BEFS has launched a new Manifesto, Building Foundations for a Better Scotland, in advance of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged BEFS, building, community, conservation, energy, environment, expertise, health, heritage, planning, Scotland, skills
Comments Off on BEFS 2026 Manifesto: Building Foundations for a Better Scotland
Licensing builders must happen following ECO debacle, says FMB
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has warned that poor oversight in ECO scheme shows urgent need for builder licensing to protect consumers and restore trust in retrofit work.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, energy, expertise, government, quality, retrofit, skills
Comments Off on Licensing builders must happen following ECO debacle, says FMB
IHBC’s ‘Practice’ Signpost: Traditional and historic buildings – a new Retrofit British Standard, an update from IHBC’s John Edwards, with joint CPD webinar 14/11
‘BS 40104: 2025: Retrofit Assessment for Domestic Dwellings – Code of Practice’, was officially published at the end of September and here Prof. John Edwards, IHBC’s Technical Panel Secretary and lead on the heritage/traditional buildings workstream, updates NewsBlog readers on … Continue reading
Posted in IHBC NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, conservation, energy, environment, expertise, heritage, retrofit, skills, training
Comments Off on IHBC’s ‘Practice’ Signpost: Traditional and historic buildings – a new Retrofit British Standard, an update from IHBC’s John Edwards, with joint CPD webinar 14/11
National Audit Office: Weak controls and oversight blamed for faulty home installations under energy efficiency scheme
A new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) sets out the reasons for failures in the government’s energy efficiency scheme for homes, including poor-quality installations, weak government oversight and inadequate audit and monitoring.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, energy, expertise, government, homes, insulation, net zero
Comments Off on National Audit Office: Weak controls and oversight blamed for faulty home installations under energy efficiency scheme
IHBC‘s ‘Research’ Signpost: Eco-efficient retrofitting: How rural heritage buildings can drive the UK’s sustainable built environment
New research, published in periodical Energies offers a roadmap for integrating sustainability and heritage conservation through the adaptive reuse of rural vernacular architecture.
Posted in IHBC NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, design, energy, expertise, heritage, rural, sustainability, techniques
Comments Off on IHBC‘s ‘Research’ Signpost: Eco-efficient retrofitting: How rural heritage buildings can drive the UK’s sustainable built environment
£25.5m Energy Efficiency Scheme (EES) evaluation highlights many buildings required structural works before energy efficiency measures could be introduced
An evaluation of the government’s £25.5m Energy Efficiency Scheme (EES) concluded that many applicants’ buildings required structural works before energy efficiency measures could be introduced.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, efficiency, energy, environment, expertise, skills, structures
Comments Off on £25.5m Energy Efficiency Scheme (EES) evaluation highlights many buildings required structural works before energy efficiency measures could be introduced
New report from the National Retrofit Hub offers recommendations to strengthen energy efficiency standards
image for illustration New report from the National Retrofit Hub offers recommendations intended to strengthen energy efficiency standards to protect private renters.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, energy, environment, expertise, planning, retrofit, skills
Comments Off on New report from the National Retrofit Hub offers recommendations to strengthen energy efficiency standards
MPs say ‘Warm homes retrofit failures pushing UK clean, secure energy targets further off track’
A new report sets out practical measures needed to provide essential certainty and confidence for households and supply chains.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged climate change, energy, environment, expertise, government, net zero, retrofit, skills
Comments Off on MPs say ‘Warm homes retrofit failures pushing UK clean, secure energy targets further off track’
Warm homes retrofit failures pushing UK clean, secure energy targets further off track, say MPs
In a new Parliamentary report the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee says poorly designed retrofit schemes, a ‘skills crisis’ and costly assurance failures have significantly set back efforts to decarbonise home heating and bring down energy bills, and pushed … Continue reading
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, energy, environment, expertise, government, net zero, planning, retrofit, skills
Comments Off on Warm homes retrofit failures pushing UK clean, secure energy targets further off track, say MPs
THA issues evidence to DESNZ on energy performance of private rented homes in England and Wales
The Heritage Alliance (THA) has submitted evidence to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) on its consultation on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, conservation, energy, environment, heritage, net zero, retrofit, sustainability
Comments Off on THA issues evidence to DESNZ on energy performance of private rented homes in England and Wales
IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: STBA on CALECHE – Circular Innovation for Historic Buildings
image for illustration As a project partner, the Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance (STBA) is working with European experts in the CALECHE Project, developing sustainable solutions for historic building conservation.
Posted in IHBC NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, conservation, energy, environment, expertise, heritage, retrofit, sustainability
Comments Off on IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: STBA on CALECHE – Circular Innovation for Historic Buildings
IHBC’s ‘Practice’ Signpost: Scottish Government’s ‘Energy Performance Certificate reform – Consultation analysis’
A new report offers independent analysis of the consultation on EPC reform, held by the Scottish Government to gain views and greater understanding on what could be achieved in this area, has been issued.
Posted in IHBC NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, energy, environment, expertise, government, net zero, Scotland, skills
Comments Off on IHBC’s ‘Practice’ Signpost: Scottish Government’s ‘Energy Performance Certificate reform – Consultation analysis’
IHBC’s Context 182 now out (Part 1): ‘Heating and ventilation’ from Sustainable heating for listed buildings to people-first retrofit, hothouses and more (& even Alec & Gus!)
The new issue of IHBC’s members’ journal, Context – No. 182 – examines ‘heating and ventilation’ because ‘Is anything more important to historic building conservation…’, and that’s just the start of our CPD journey that includes Alec Clifton-Taylor, Gus Astley … Continue reading
Posted in IHBC NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, conservation, energy, environment, expertise, heating, heritage, skills, sustainability, ventilation
Comments Off on IHBC’s Context 182 now out (Part 1): ‘Heating and ventilation’ from Sustainable heating for listed buildings to people-first retrofit, hothouses and more (& even Alec & Gus!)
IHBC features ‘Heritage from the (Scottish) doorstep’: On ‘Heat in Buildings’, Government update from Climate Action Minister
image for illustration Scotland’s Minister for Climate Action, Alasdair Allan has sent a progress update on ‘Heat in Buildings’ to Ariane Burgess MSP, Convener of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee.
Posted in IHBC NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, energy, expertise, government, heating, planning, Scotland, skills
Comments Off on IHBC features ‘Heritage from the (Scottish) doorstep’: On ‘Heat in Buildings’, Government update from Climate Action Minister
Consultation on ‘Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings’ regime, to 26/02
image for illustration The Government has issued a consultation on changes to Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), Display Energy Certificates (DECs), and air conditioning inspection reports (ACIRs), closing 26 February 2025. [applies to England & Wales]
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, consultation, energy, environment, expertise, government, planning, skills
Comments Off on Consultation on ‘Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings’ regime, to 26/02
Consultation on ‘Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings’ regime, to 26/02
image for illustration The Government has issued a consultation on changes to Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), Display Energy Certificates (DECs), and air conditioning inspection reports (ACIRs), closing 26 February 2025. [applies to England & Wales]
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, energy, expertise, government
Comments Off on Consultation on ‘Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings’ regime, to 26/02
Scottish House Condition Survey 2023: Key findings published
Figures from the 2023 survey, include updated fuel poverty rates, energy efficiency ratings, the condition of housing and the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, energy, environment, fuel, government, survey, sustainability
Comments Off on Scottish House Condition Survey 2023: Key findings published
EPC Report: The future of EPCs – A Roadmap for Change
image for illustration The National Retrofit Hub (NRH) has published its EPC Report on ‘The future of EPCs: A Roadmap for Change’ detailing how EPCs are currently used, identifies barriers preventing EPCs from incentivising home improvement, and outlines an eight-point … Continue reading
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, certification, climate change, energy, environment, expertise, government, planning, retrofit, skills
Comments Off on EPC Report: The future of EPCs – A Roadmap for Change