According to the government’s latest announcement, the updates to Part L that were originally planned for October 2013 will now come into force on 6th April 2014. There is still only limited information on the changes. The information that is available is summarised in brief below:
- New build homes will have to be an average of 6% more energy efficient than under the 2010 regulations.
- Non-domestic buildings will have to be 9% more energy efficient than under the 2010 regulations.
- The government predicts the changes will help lower fuel bills and deliver savings of 16m per year for businesses.
- A new fabric energy efficiency target is to be introduced. Details of this, how the improvements will be calculated and targets for different building types are yet to be published.
Proposals which are not going to be implemented:
- The proposal to introduce a universal building specification, known as the Publicly Available System.
- Plans to introduce consequential improvements for extensions.
Scotland and Wales:
- Ministers in Scotland are considering reducing emission rates by 21% for the new Section 6 regulations when it is updated next year.
- The Welsh Assembly confirmed an 8% reduction over current targets
Summary provided by HRS. For more information, please contact HRS technical team on 0800 030 4391, e-mail [email protected] or click on www.hrsservices.co.uk/pages/airtightness/update-to-partL-2014.htm to view the government’s Consultation Stage Impact Assessment – Proposed changes to Part L and Amendments to the Approved Documents.
