- Changes to building regulations will help UK deliver net zero
- New homes will have to produce around 30% less CO2
- Important step for industry ahead of Future Homes and
Buildings Standard in 2025
New homes and buildings in England will have to produce
significantly less CO2 under new rules announced by the
government today to help the country move towards net zero.
Under the new regulations, CO2 emissions from new build homes
must be around 30% lower than current standards and emissions
from other new buildings, including offices and shops, must be
reduced by 27%.
Heating and powering buildings currently makes up 40% of the UK’s
total energy use.
Installing low carbon technology, such as solar panels and heat
pumps, and using materials in a more energy efficient way to keep
in heat will help cut emissions – lowering the cost of energy
bills for families and helping deliver the UK’s climate change
ambitions.
All new residential buildings, including homes, care homes,
student accommodation and children’s homes, must also be designed
to reduce overheating, making sure they are fit for the future
and protect the most vulnerable people. Improvements to
ventilation will also be introduced to support the safety of
residents in newly-built homes and to prevent the spread of
airborne viruses in new non-residential buildings.
The changes announced today to the government’s Building
Regulations, which set the standards in England for the design,
construction and alteration of buildings, follow a public
consultation and will come into effect from June 2022.
They will raise standards and are an important step towards a
cleaner greener built environment, paving the way for the Future
Homes and Buildings Standard in 2025, which will mean all future
homes are net zero ready and will not need retrofitting.
Housing Minister said:
Climate change is the greatest threat we face and we must act to
protect our precious planet for future generations.
The government is doing everything it can to deliver net zero and
slashing CO2 emissions from homes and buildings is vital to
achieving this commitment.
The changes will significantly improve the energy efficiency of
the buildings where we live, work and spend our free time and are
an important step on our country’s journey towards a cleaner,
greener built environment.
The new regulations come alongside £6.6 billion of direct
investment into improving the energy efficiency of buildings
during this Parliament. The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund,
Local Authority Delivery scheme and Home Upgrade Grant scheme
make grants available to low-income households for insulation,
solar panels, heat pumps and other efficiency and decarbonisation
measures.
Last week, a further £400 million of funding was announced for
more than 200 local authority areas as part of a new Sustainable
Warmth Competition.
The latest figures show almost half (46%) of the homes in England
are now rated C or above for energy efficiency, compared to 14%
in 2010.
Further information
Alongside amendments to the Building Regulations, we have
published 5 new Approved Documents:
There will be a 6 month period before the new regulations come
into force on 15 June 2022. Transitional arrangements are in
place which mean that if a building notice, initial notice, or
full plans for building work are submitted to a local authority
before 15 June 2022, then provided the building work commences by
15 June 2023, work on that individual building is permitted to
continue under the previous standards.
As well as setting out measures for the 2021 uplift to the
Building Regulations, the government response to the
Future Buildings Standard consultation also sets out plans
for the implementation of the Future Buildings Standard from
2025. This includes plans to start a full technical consultation
on the FBS in 2025.
