Reducing carbon from heritage buildings: the importance of residents’ views, values and behaviours

Significant energy and carbon originate in the existing built environment retrofit is therefore a key reduction strategy. However heritage buildings -comprising around 20% of UK buildings- are challenging to appropriately due their historical values traditional construction. Retrofit savings dependent on current use which strongly influenced by residents’ behaviours, decisions for domestic generally responsibility homeowners. Therefore both views behaviours important effective strategies. rarely considered standard models often overlooked policy. This paper analyses survey views, 147 residents pre-1940 buildings. The majority found value homes’ mainly view exterior building alterations negatively. acceptable retrofits, frequently differ from those experts policy makers. Residents report actively engaging several positive many have already undertaken common saving measures. These findings imply that, buildings, legislation needs extend beyond definitions ‘heritage’ acknowledge complex values, motivations behaviours.