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Energy-Efficient Building Blog · Insights & Guides Practical knowledge.
No jargon.

Honest guides to energy-efficient construction, EnerPHit retrofit and Passive House-informed building — from 20 years of hands-on European experience.

Featured
Overheating · New
27 July 2026 · ~17 min read

How to Stop a House Overheating

A builder's view from four countries on why British houses cook in summer, what actually works — external shading, night ventilation, mass — and why nobody here was ever required to ask the question.

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Costs
20 September 2026

0% VAT on Energy Saving Materials: What It Covers, and What It Does Not

What the 0% VAT rate on energy saving materials covers, and what it does not — scope, limits, and the two deadlines that behave differently from one another.
Building Science
26 July 2026 · ~13 min read

We Are Building the Next Retrofit Programme

15.7 million UK homes already fail the overheating standard used for new build — today, not by 2050. Why the homes being built in 2026 will join the retrofit queue, what buyers cannot see, and six questions worth asking before you sign.
Building Regulations
19 June 2026 · ~6 min read

The Home Energy Model: What's Actually Replacing SAP, and When

SAP is being replaced by the Home Energy Model — but the timing is widely misunderstood. When the Future Homes Standard comes into force on 24 March 2027, SAP 10.3 is the sole approved methodology; HEM follows later, then dual-runs with SAP for no less than 24 months. A fact-checked guide to the real timeline.
Compliance
9 June 2026 · ~13 min read

The 2026 MEES Reset: EPC C by 2030, a £10,000 Cap, and What UK Landlords Need to Know

The MEES rules changed in January 2026: new EPC C deadline (1 October 2030), a £10,000 cost cap, the dual fabric-plus-heating-or-smart-readiness metric, the heritage exemption gone, and the October 2029 EPC grandfathering deadline most landlords won't see coming.
EnerPHit · Cornerstone
8 May 2026 · ~11 min read

EnerPHit Retrofit in the UK: The Complete Guide for Homeowners (2026)

A practical, jargon-free walkthrough of EnerPHit deep retrofit for UK homeowners — costs (£1,800–2,600/m²), the seven-stage process, energy savings of 85–90%, planning permission, and what separates good contractors from the rest.
Costs
7 June 2026 · ~14 min read

Deep Retrofit Cost UK 2026: An Honest Breakdown by Element

Element-by-element 2026 UK retrofit pricing, three worked case studies (Victorian terrace, 1960s semi, stone cottage), and the soft costs the £/m² headlines leave out. £100k vs £200k budget scenarios.
Retrofit
5 June 2026 · ~14 min read

Pre-1900 Stone Cottage Retrofit: What Actually Works in Herefordshire and the Welsh Borders

Why PIR insulation rots a stone cottage in five years, what should go in instead, the IWI/EWI/hybrid decision, and the regulatory route under PAS 2035:2023 and MEES 2030 — with 2026 cost reality from the Welsh borders.
Sustainability
2 June 2026 · ~9 min read

Timber Frame vs Masonry: The Full Lifecycle View

Is timber frame really the greener choice? A sourced whole-life carbon view of UK timber frame vs solid masonry — end-of-life routing, transport, chemistry and the lifespan dispute the brochures leave out.
Building Science
28 May 2026 · ~12 min read · Featured

The Thermos Syndrome: Why New UK Homes Turn Into Ovens in Summer (And How to Fix It)

UK new builds are well insulated for winter and unliveable in summer. The three causes — lightweight construction, big glazing, weak ventilation — and how Part O, CIBSE TM59 and proper design fix it.
PHPP
22 May 2026 · Updated 20 October · ~13 min read

PHPP Modelling for UK Architects: When to Use It, What It Costs, and How to Read the Output

The Passive House Planning Package explained for UK architects — how it differs from SAP, typical costs, when you need it on a project, and how to interpret the output.
Compliance
15 May 2026 · ~11 min read

PAS 2035 Explained (2026): What UK Homeowners and Architects Actually Need to Know

The UK's retrofit framework explained in plain English. When PAS 2035 applies, the five specialist roles, common mistakes, and how it sits next to EnerPHit and Building Regulations.
Founder story
1 May 2026 · ~10 min read · By Paweł Okurowski

From Mazury to Ledbury (via Mallorca): Why I Started APMBuild

A personal story — from the Mazurian Lakes and Polish Army engineer reconnaissance, through German building sites and eight years on Mallorca, to building my first UK house in Ledbury in 2013 and founding APMBuild Ltd in 2024.
More articles in the pipeline

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