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Building regs - less improvement than hoped for |
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30 Jul 2013, 7:10 PM
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The government has confirmed there will be a reduced 6 per cent uplift in energy efficiency standards of new homes. A consultation on the energy efficiency requirements in Part L 2010 Building Regulations closed in April 2012, leaving the sector in limbo since.
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Chancellor George Osborne said the government would publish a ‘detailed plan’ setting out a response to this consultation on Part L by May 2013.
The changes were originally scheduled for October 2013, however it was announced today they will not come into force until April 2014. The government claimed this is to give the industry ‘enough time to prepare’.
Baroness Hanham announced the changes in a written statement to the House of Lords today. She said: ‘Strengthening these requirements takes the next step towards our zero carbon ambitions, will contribute to national emission reduction targets and help to lower people’s fuel bills. The changes are projected to deliver savings of £16 million per year to business and 6.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.’
The original target for cutting home carbon emissions was two per cent higher at 8 per cent.
Compliance targets will be differentiated by home type and Baroness Hanham said this was to ‘take advantage of the most cost effective savings’.
She said: ‘The existing partial relaxation of targets for homes built off the gas grid, the so called ‘fuel factor’, will stay at current levels to help rural home builders. Home builders will continue to have flexibility in how they meet carbon dioxide targets however the emphasis of these changes is on getting the building fabric right and this is reinforced through the introduction of a new target for fabric energy efficiency.’
The standards for extensions and replacement windows on existing homes will not be strengthened.
John Alker, director of policy and communications at UK-GBC, said: ‘There can be no excuses for the length of time this has taken, but finally industry has the clarity on Part L that it craves.
‘Although we’re still waiting for details on carbon compliance, allowable solutions and the housing standards review – so government is not out of the woods yet.
‘The uplift is less ambitious than any of the options originally consulted upon – even less than government’s previously ‘preferred options’, particularly for non-domestic buildings.
‘However, the fact there is any uplift at all is good news – it’s a victory for all those who know that industry can continue to innovate, to improve standards and reduce carbon cost-effectively.
‘It needn’t knock us off course from the zero carbon targets, which it is encouraging to see government remains committed to.’
Credits:: Laurna Robertson - Inside Housing
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