The 2025 Spending Review commits £13.2 billion to increasing energy efficiency in existing homes under the Warm Homes Plan, making retrofit a top priority. However, achieving Net Zero in retrofit projects, and new builds alike, depends on effective occupant education. Otherwise, we risk ambitions stalling at the point of handover. Recent findings from the leading authority in building services testing, intelligence, and research, BSRIA, reveal that despite nearly all (97%) of construction professionals agreeing that occupant behaviour plays a defining role in whether retrofits deliver operational efficiency, the vast majority are failing to measure or validate outcomes post-handover. The research found that three quarters (76%) of construction professionals admit that they do not prioritise post-occupancy evaluations (POEs), highlighting a significant lack of follow-up assessments to ensure that retrofit measures meet original design intentions. For both retrofit projects and new build developments, POEs are crucial to identify discrepancies between intended outcomes and real-world use. POEs enable adjustments that improve building performance while simultaneously supporting people in running their homes, or other buildings, efficiently to maximise indoor environmental quality and energy savings. Industry data has found that buildings are acutely affected by occupant behaviour, with recent studies indicating a difference between predicted building performance and measured output of as much as 300%[1]. This demonstrates how failing to embed occupant engagement and education into the handover process can leave retrofit work at risk of severe performance shortfalls, which can significantly erode energy efficiency and comfort. Adding to the challenge, BSRIA’s research found that over half (55%) of consumers are unfamiliar with what ‘retrofit’ means and only a third of homeowners (31%) believe that retrofit will reduce energy use. Furthermore, half of people say they are unclear about the impact of retrofit upgrades on carbon targets, underscoring the vital need for occupant education. Tom Garrigan, Executive Director at BSRIA, commented: “For housebuilders and developers, the handover of a retrofitted home can’t be the end of the story: implementing measures alone is not enough. Performance issues emerge when occupants don’t fully understand low-carbon systems and indoor environmental controls, leading to higher running costs and missed targets. “While there has been progress in some areas of the market, it’s critical that the wider industry prioritises occupant education to ensure that homes work for people in practice, not just on paper. “This doesn’t just apply to retrofit projects, either. With the Future Homes Standard approaching, residents in both new builds and refurbished buildings will require greater support to confidently manage longer heating cycles, responsive controls, and new approaches to comfort and efficiency.” With 62% of the industry agreeing that retrofit projects offer greater benefits than new builds, it’s clear that there is appetite within the sector for refurbishing existing housing stock. However, next-generation homes demand next-generation handover practices. By combining evidence-based specification, robust building diagnostics, verified product testing and thorough user guidance, the sector can deliver homes that both perform and satisfy, helping to drive mass-market decarbonisation.  Garrigan adds, “Investing in robust post-retrofit evaluations and support will help to close the gap between design ambition and real-world results. This means that occupant education must be integral to the retrofit journey to ensure that the fabric improvements made will contribute to achieving Net Zero not just at point of installation, but for the long-term.” BSRIA continues to champion this approach through research, training and demonstrator projects that showcase retrofit leadership for the industry. Find out more: https://www.bsria.com/uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Energy efficiency upgrades to create better buildings for local people and help put UK on track for 2050 net zero targets Schools, hospitals, libraries, leisure centres and town halls across England are among the latest public buildings set to benefit from a multi-million-pound investment to reduce energy use, cut carbon emissions and modernise essential community spaces. The £815 million of funding, delivered through Phase 4 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, enables public sector organisations to install a range of energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies including heat pumps, solar panels, insulation and low-energy lighting. This includes 244 projects. The scheme is delivered by Salix on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The Department has published a full list of grant recipients available on www.gov.uk. The building improvements will reduce reliance on fossil fuels, lower energy bills, and contribute to the UK’s ambitious goal of reaching net zero by 2050. The Phase 4 projects are expected to save direct carbon emissions of around 164,000 tonnes per year – the equivalent to taking roughly 330,000 average diesel cars off the road. Phase 4 is delivered by Salix with project work running until 2028 when projects complete. Salix works closely with each public sector organisation to ensure projects are successfully delivered. The team at Salix offer one-to-one support through relationship managers as well as a whole host of tools through our website and regular webinars and workshops. Salix chief executive Kevin Holland said: “From school classrooms to hospital wards and libraries to swimming pools, this funding is making a real difference for our communities. “People who use these buildings – and that’s all of us – can enjoy warmer, more comfortable spaces that are easier and more efficient to heat and to power. These buildings are being future-proofed for generations to come.” Alongside the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Salix supports the NHS, schools, council, universities and other organisations to meet net zero ambitions. Since the launch of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme in 2020, nearly 1,500 projects have been funded to decarbonise thousands of buildings. Salix work alongside organisations supporting the installation of solar panel and heat pump projects and other energy efficiency measures. This effort rejuvenates public buildings and raises climate action awareness. New projects receiving funding in Phase 4 include: Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, North EastReceived £5,939,357 to decarbonise Hexham General Hospital. Air and water source heat pumps will replace existing systems, alongside new thermal stores, heat meters, and a cooling system. Shropshire Council, West MidlandsAwarded £2,454,400 to decarbonise SpArC Leisure Centre in Bishop’s Castle. Measures include an air source heat pump, pipework upgrades, and a new building energy management system. Merseyside Police, North WestGranted £758,000 to decarbonise Lea Green Training Centre in St Helens. Upgrades include air source heat pumps, solar panels, LED lighting, roof insulation, and a new energy management system. Diverse Academies Trust, East MidlandsAwarded £2,025,465 for Tuxford Academy in Nottinghamshire. An old boiler will be replaced with an air source heat pump. Additional improvements include LED lighting, ventilation, and a cooling system. Breckenbrough School Limited, Yorkshire and the HumberReceived £688,500 to decarbonise Breckenbrough School in North Yorkshire. The project includes an air source heat pump, pipework improvements, roof insulation, and an energy management system. London Borough of Hackney, Greater LondonGranted £6,594,250 to decarbonise nine schools. All will receive air source heat pumps, thermal stores, and building energy management systems to boost efficiency. Chesterfield Borough Council, East MidlandsAwarded £2,394,413 to decarbonise Staveley Healthy Living Centre. Improvements include air source heat pumps, ventilation systems, and a new energy management system. Liverpool Hope University, North WestReceived £310,000 to decarbonise multiple campus buildings. Upgrades include air source heat pumps, electric heaters, loft insulation, and improved glazing. Alsager Town Council, North WestGranted £141,500 to decarbonise Alsager Civic Hall in Cheshire. The project includes an air source heat pump, solar panels, roof insulation, LED lighting, and a building energy management system. Wiltshire Council, South WestAwarded £939,594 to decarbonise Bourne Hill council offices in Salisbury and Devizes Leisure Centre. Both sites will receive air and water source heat pumps. For a full list of grant recipients, visit www.gov.uk Kevin added: “Climate change is on our doorstep, and we have no time to stand still. “Together we can achieve positive results on climate. Addressing the energy efficiency of our public buildings moves us in the right direction. “The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme breathes new life into these buildings, that might otherwise have been left to deteriorate. Today’s funding creates better facilities for communities and a healthier future for us all.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals