NEWS UPDATE LOW CARBON CHALLENGES


Survey highlights barriers to care home decarbonisation


Energy related policy documents set for release


As revealed in September’s EiBI, the UK government’s comprehensive Warm Homes Plan will finally be published on 22 October, nine months after it was initially promised. Its budget has been confirmed at £13.2bn up to July 2029. This excludes funds spent via energy companies under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). Despite its name, it is set to include measures covering decisions on energy improvements in non- residential buildings, particularly rental. On the same day, the government


is also due to be releasing a whole range of other energy related policy documents. Amongst these will be a review of its fuel poverty strategy. The timidity of current government actions to ensure the abolition of fuel poverty has been heavily criticised by its official advisory group, chaired by former Labour minister Caroline Flint. Simultaneously, we should see a


formal response to the latest analysis of progress issued by the official Committee on Climate Change, which has been particularly critical about the absence of progress on adaptation to the impact of the already changing climate. The government response will include “an updated plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 for all sectors of the economy”. A new strategy on ”Net Zero


Public Participation” is also lined up for announcement. This will set out “how we will empower individuals and communities to take action, whilst ensuring that policies are designed in a way that is responsive to people’s needs, including young people.” This is largely in response to the U-turn by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, reneging on her own, as well as her party’s, commitments to net zero whilst they were in government. Also due is the new Home Energy Model, intended to replace the existing Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP). The new model will place less emphasis on cost savings, and be more oriented towards cutting greenhouse gas emissions than kilowatt hour reductions.


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With the aim of highlighting some of the issues that need to be addressed to help decarbonise the fast-growing care home sector, Baxi has surveyed over 400 senior and middle managers in care homes. The survey found a strong appetite


for decarbonisation, with 46% of respondents saying they had already decarbonised their heating systems and 50% indicating they are taking steps to do so. However, the survey also revealed a number of barriers that are preventing further exploration of decarbonisation options in the care home sector. In the private sector, respondents experience challenges with funding


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The heating and hot water specialist has laid out five clear steps for the government to help ramp up the decarbonisation of the UK’s care homes, removing barriers that are preventing some facilities from making the switch. 1. Introduce funding schemes and


ringfence specific funding for care home heating system decarbonisation to ensure clarity and funding certainty to care homes 2. Provide specific guidance to


care homes to help them to better understand eligibility and application processes for funding 3. Address the specific skills gap in


application processes, and struggle with strict eligibility criteria and resource requirements. In the public sector, care homes tend to struggle more with competition delays to funding and what they felt was ‘bias and discrimination’ throughout the process.


the care homes sector to help deliver heat decarbonisation projects 4. Create databases of contractors


and developers with expertise of the care sector 5. Address the imbalance in price


between gas and electricity to lower the cost of electrical heating systems


Ramboll sets out road map for net zero data centres


conserving water and applying circular economy principles. The report highlights the strain that


A new report argues that data centres can be built and operated sustainably, with the potential to reach net zero emissions. The study, published by global consultancy Ramboll, outlines strategies to tackle the environmental pressures created by the rapid growth of data centres worldwide. It provides guidance for developers, operators and consultants on reducing carbon emissions, protecting biodiversity,


data centres, fuelled by the rise of artificial intelligence, are placing on global resources, but Ramboll says net zero can be achieved through efficiency measures, renewable energy procurement, energy reuse and demand response. Embodied carbon, tied to construction materials, could be cut by using low-carbon steel and concrete, sourcing materials locally, and reusing components from decommissioned buildings. The report also stresses the need to incorporate biodiversity into planning and design, including early ecological surveys and site layouts that minimise habitat loss. Circularity,


with the aim of reusing or recycling all materials and sending no waste to landfill, is another proposed benchmark. Water neutrality is identified as critical, particularly in water-scarce regions. Solutions include avoiding water-based cooling, reusing water within facilities, and harvesting rainwater. “There are economic benefits


for data centre owners if they focus on circular practices,” says Ed Ansett, Ramboll’s global director of technology and innovation. “For instance, the by-product of data centre energy consumption is heat, which has historically been unused. Data centres are in an excellent position to export what would otherwise be wasted energy.”


NFU Energy expands into commercial property sector


NFU Energy, a consultancy and service provider for sustainable energy solutions, has launched two new dedicated services for the commercial property sector.


As one of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) group of companies, NFU Energy draws on a heritage spanning over 50 years dedicated to helping the UK’s agricultural sector manage energy needs efficiently and sustainably. NFU Energy is now expanding its market footprint with services designed to help commercial property energy buyers manage the complexities of energy management. The commercial property services launched today are NFU Energy


Metering and Monitoring and NFU Energy Tailored Contracts. Both services have been specifically designed to provide landlords and property managers with a comprehensive suite of tools, technologies and talent to gain greater visibility and improve management of energy consumption across their property portfolios. Lisa Howkins, sales and marketing


director with NFU Energy, comments: “Over recent years we have seen a growing interest from the property management sector on how to improve efficiency, manage cost and grow sustainability credentials within portfolios. We’re delighted to bring


our proven technologies and practical approach to the commercial property sector with tailored cost-effective solutions at favourable rates to stabilise costs, simplify compliance and support sustainable upgrades.”


EIBI | OCTOBER 2025


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