New building regulations to make homes more energy efficient

Changes to the country’s building regulations are to make homes 25 per cent more energy efficient and typically save householders £100 a year on their heating bills.

The new regulations, which come into place in October, will make homes, shops and offices warmer and cheaper to run and comes as the Government is continuing the drive towards all new homes to be zero carbon from 2016, with all other buildings to meet the standard from 2019.

Around two million tonnes of carbon will be saved every year by 2020 and homes will also be more water efficient.

The measures include practical steps that builders can take to make buildings greener, while at the same time ensuring that more efficient, air-tight homes and offices are sufficiently ventilated. Where homeowners choose to extend or renovate their homes, they will now need to use more energy efficient windows and boilers.

Housing and Planning Minister John Healey said: "Nearly half the UK’s carbon emissions come from our buildings. But more than one in three of the buildings we’ll be working in and living in by 2050 have not yet been built, so action now can make a real difference in the future."

Further information:
Communities and Local Government

Event Diary

DISCOVER | DEVELOP | DISRUPT

UKREiiF has quickly become a must-attend in the industry calendar for Government departments and local authorities.

The multi-award-winning UK Construction Week (UKCW), is the UK’s biggest trade event for the built environment that connects the whole supply chain to be the catalyst for growth and positive change in the industry.