The charming period features in your home under threat from net zero

Telegraph

08-03-2025

For many home buyers, nothing signifies value more than open fireplaces, 12-foot ceilings and generous windows to make an interior light and airy.
But the key selling points can spell disaster for a home's green credentials, and face disappearing from new homes amid Labour's net zero drive, experts have warned.
The Government is on an energy efficiency crusade, forcing landlords to upgrade their homes to ensure they have a minimum EPC grade of 'C' by 2030.
The ratings – a legal requirement for people selling or renting a property – provide a score that estimates how much heat and energy a property can retain.
But home owners have long complained of inconsistencies in the EPC system and the high cost of transforming properties to attain high grades.
Now, design experts caution they risk making British homes uglier. Is it any wonder that energy efficiency is plummeting down buyers' lists of priorities?
Recent research conducted by Hive, the British Gas-owned smart tech firm, found 75pc of consumers favoured old-fashioned features such as high ceilings, original fireplaces, stained glass windows and wood floors over energy efficiency when purchasing a home.
Here, Telegraph Money looks at the features most under threat.
1. Large windows
Labour has pledged to build 1.5 million new homes during this Parliament. The new housing stock is expected to come with better EPC ratings than older buildings.
However, concerns have been raised about the tendency for new homes to be built with limited airflow thanks to their high level of insulation.
Nicholas Boyes Smith, director of urban planning think tank Create Streets, said period features that promote airflow in buildings were increasingly rare in new construction.
'I fear that features associated with 'buildings that breathe' which let air in and out as opposed to being hermetically sealed, will become much rarer.'
He added that sash windows that are preferred by planning regulations were now more common than larger casement alternatives.
'They are already rare in new builds. For example, developers and house builders now need to really want to create sash windows to get them through building regulations.
'Though well-intentioned, this outcome stems from an overly narrow understanding of sustainability as being entirely about the energy in use of homes.
'In fact, a far wider range of factors such as how we move about in our daily lives, [if we] can walk to the shops, how long buildings last and whether we re-use existing buildings are hugely important.
'The so-called form, height and shape of a building really matters, as well for its carbon footprint alongside its longevity. Never forget the greenest building is nearly always the one that already exists,' he added.
According to Chris Yates, chief executive of green tech body the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations, conservatories that lead on to gardens are of particular concern.
'You would certainly find it much more expensive to heat which would impact the EPC. If you've got that conservatory open plan into another room or on the back of the house, you are going to lose heat if it has not been insulated properly.'
2. Tall ceilings
This sought-after feature can make a home feel more opulent, but inevitably impacts energy efficiency. Some 25pc of those surveyed by Hive said they would prioritise buying a home with high ceilings.
Mr Yates said: 'High ceilings will have an impact because you are trying to fill up more space.
'If you are heating the space at the ground level, the majority [of heat] will naturally rise to the top of the ceiling, so you've got to fill a lot of empty space before you get to the point where you actually feel the benefit.'
As a result, Britain's ceilings appear to be getting lower. The average height of a ceiling in a new-build is now 2.4m, or just shy of eight feet. By comparison, it was commonplace for Victorian ceilings to exceed 3m, or just under 10 feet.
3. Open fireplaces
Fireplaces are a key focal point in large, Georgian living rooms. But, they offer little in the way of green credentials.
An open fire is 20pc energy efficient, according to specialists Athena. This is because the chimney evacuates much of the warm air from the living space. As a result, they rarely feature in new-build homes which tend not to have chimneys.
'The best solution personally would be to swap it out for a modern stove. You could still have a stove with period features, but gas would be more efficient, however, it's still going to be losing a lot of energy from the room and chances are the flume isn't going to be too efficient,' Mr Yates said.
4. Old doors
The British front door is constantly evolving. Traditional oak doors were a staple feature of homes from the 15th century before being replaced by solid wooden alternatives. In the 1900s and early 2000s, the plastic door enjoyed a boom for their low maintenance and value for money.
Today, most new-builds feature doors made from composite. Made with an insulating foam core and triple glazing, they claim to be six times more energy efficient than a traditional wooden door – offering a potential saving on energy bills.