Changes to Part L of the Building Regulations have been annnounced aimed at making homes 25% more efficient and reducing household heating bills by £100 a year.
The amendments come into force in October and are designed to make homes and offices warmer and cheaper to run, and take Britain a step closer to meeting government low carbon commitments, a government spokesperson said.
The tougher standards, which include more energy-efficient windows, will save around two million tonnes of carbon a year by 2020, equivalent to taking 3 million cars off the road, the spokesperson said.
The measures include steps for builders to make new buildings greener while ensuring more efficient, air-tight homes and offices are sufficiently ventilated. They will also come into play when homeowners elect to carry out extensions, conversions, and renovations, and replace windows and boilers.
The changes are covered in Part L (Conservation of fuel and power). Part F (Means of ventilation) has also been revised, with new requirements for ventilation systems, and Part J (Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems) has been amended to ensure appliances are safe in more airtight homes.
“While we must act to reduce carbon emissions, we must do so in sensible stages to avoid unreasonable burdens on the house building industry,” said housing minister John Healey.
