Energy Matters | Issue 8 | 2021
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F E AT U R E www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk
Building Regulations across the UK. Where are we? Jason Hewins, New Build Dwellings Manager and Josh Wakeling, Head of Operations
this year. They confirmed that for new homes, Part L 2021 would achieve a 31% reduction in carbon over the current regulations, see a tightening of fabric and service standards, introduce mandatory air tightness testing and more stringent transitional arrangements. The Future Building Standards consultation proposed changes to energy and ventilation standards for work to existing homes, new and existing non-domestic buildings and mitigation of overheating in new homes. Although we still await the responses to the Future Building Standards consultation it is the intention of DLUHC to publish the Part L 2021 Approved Documents, SAP 10 and SBEM v6 methodologies in December 2021, with regulations coming into force in June 2022.
Wales Over the past few years there has been an increased pressure on governments to revise the energy efficiency requirements in Building Regulations as part of the move towards our net zero obligations. This has seen a raft of consultations across all regions of the UK and we wanted to give a brief recap of where all regions currently stand and the expected milestones over the next year.
England So far, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has completed two consultations on changes to Part F and L; the Future Homes Standard and Future Building Standard consultations. These consultations set out the vision for energy efficiency standards in Building Regulations to be introduced in 2025 and also confirmed an interim step will be issued, now known as Part L 2021. The responses to the Future Homes Standard consultation were published by DLUHC earlier
Welsh Government has so far issued three consultations in regards to changes to their Building Regulations. Like England, the Stage 1 consultation set out the intended direction for Part L 2025 and confirmed an interim uplift to Part L, known as Part L 2021. The responses to the Stage 1 consultation show for new homes a 37% reduction in carbon over current regulations will be implemented, as well as a tightening of fabric and service standards, introduction of mandatory air tightness testing and more stringent transitional arrangements. The Stage 2A consultation, which covered standards for existing domestic buildings and overheating regulations, has been completed and responses published. It was confirmed that