Winter is Here - Videos show how to make listed buildings warmer

With energy bills rising again, owners of the many listed buildings in Bath & North East Somerset may wonder whether it is possible to install insulation, solar panels or air source heat pumps, or make windows more efficient. This requires listed building consent which may seem daunting, however in the vast majority of cases, consent is granted.

The Green Heritage Homes project has produced short videos to introduce a range of retrofit options and showcase examples where they have been consented and installed successfully.

The videos can be viewed here: https://www.bwce.homeenergy.coop/green-heritage-homes

Featuring a Conservation Officer from Bath & North East Somerset Council, heritage experts, and energy experts from Bath & West Community Energy, the videos provide guidance on what to consider for listed homes. In under ten minutes, each video summarises the relevant heritage considerations and conservation principles, and how these can inform the choice and design of energy efficiency measures. The topics covered are:

1. Green Heritage Homes: An overview of the project and the support it provides.
2. Understanding your Listed Building: Conservation principles and guidance and applying them to an energy project, with a case study from Lansdown Crescent, Bath.
3. Simple Energy Saving: Measures that may not need Listed Building Consent.
4. Energy Efficient Windows: Four options to improve the performance of your windows - draught proofing, secondary glazing, slim double glazing and vacuum glazing.
5. Air Source Heat Pumps: The benefits for historic buildings, requirements for sensitive design and a case study of iconic Beckford’s Tower, Bath.
6. Solid wall insulation: Consideration of ‘permeable’ wall insulation and relevant heritage considerations.
7. Solar Panels: Assessment of historic roof types and finding the right location and design.
8. Listed Building Landlords and Energy: Why and how to take steps to improve energy efficiency.

Green Heritage Homes is a partnership project managed by Bath & West Community Energy: Home Energy, in partnership with Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bath Preservation Trust, Centre for Sustainable Energy and People Powered Retrofit. It is one of the Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD) projects funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero supported by the South West Net Zero Hub.

Through Green Heritage Homes, Bath and North East Someset residents can get several types of bespoke advice for their listed buildings. Firstly, through Bath & North East Somerset Council’s innovative ‘Service Level 0’ early stage pre-app advice. The Conservation Officer will attend a site visit and provide tailored technical and conservation advice, enabling homeowners to select appropriate measures from the start of the process.

For those also wanting energy advice, there is a Listed Building Champion service, which includes the Service Level Zero early-stage pre-app PLUS an expert energy assessment from Bath & West Community Energy, for the heavily discounted price of £90. In return, the homeowner provides a case study of their experience to inspire others. Bath Preservation Trust is also offering free energy surveys to Trust members in Bath. Please contact info@bwce.coop for more information on these options.

Sara Grimes, Head of Community Business Development at Bath & West Community Energy said “With bills rising again, and the climate crisis worsening, many are wondering how to reduce their energy use. BWCE offers expert advice to homeowners in all types of properties through our newly launched BWCE Home Energy. There are lots of listed buildings in our area, and our message is ‘yes you can’ make your listed building more efficient. Through Green Heritage Homes, we are providing advice, videos, trainings, webinars and the Listed Building Champions programme to inspire homeowners to go through the Listed Building Consent process and make their homes more efficient.”

Councillor Sarah Warren, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Sustainable Travel, Bath & North East Somerset Council said “These videos give a flavour of the advice we provide through the Level 0 pre-application service and dispel the myth that you can’t make listed buildings more energy efficient. In the majority of cases, we are able to grant consent for energy efficiency measures to be incorporated in a listed building and as a result, many B&NES homeowners now have properties that are warmer and less costly to heat”.

Alex Sherman, Chief Executive of Bath Preservation Trust said “Bath Preservation Trust is a longstanding champion of Bath’s heritage and advocates for sustainable retrofit. This includes working with others to make listed buildings fit for a future with a less predictable climate whilst making them warmer and cheaper to heat. We lead by example with our own buildings, for example retrofitting our Beckford’s Tower Museum, and are also committed to spreading the word. These videos are a positive introduction to what can seem a daunting topic. We are a membership organization, anyone in Bath can join, and through Green Heritage Homes we are currently offering free energy advice to our members who live in listed buildings”

“We're really pleased that the Green Heritage Homes project has enabled us to incorporate crucial software and methodology elements for listed building owners - features that will be valuable across many regions for organisations using our assessment software. For clients at the start of their retrofit journey, they can now access videos that showcase real-life examples and expert advice. Hopefully these videos not only educate but also inspire homeowners to confidently explore retrofit options” said Monika Jerszynska, Partnerships Manager, People Powered Retrofit.

“Our role has been helping listed building landlords understand how they can improve their buildings to make them more energy efficient, solve problems like damp and mould and explore alternative heating solutions. We have supported landlords to comply with the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulations for rental properties, as owning a listed building doesn't automatically exempt you. This ensures their tenants live in a warm and comfortable home while increasing the value of the building and reducing energy bills” said Jenna Willcox, Retrofit Coordinator, Centre for Sustainable Energy.

“The Local Energy Advice Demonstrator project tests new ways to get people the information they need to retrofit their homes. These videos are a brilliant example of how to present a complicated subject in a way that is accessible and encouraging to busy listed building homeowners” said David Lewis, Programme Manager, South West Net Zero Hub.