New building regulations for Wales came into force on 23 November 2022, bringing in Approved Document F Volume 1, Approved Document L Volume 1 and Approved Document O1. The Welsh Government circular WGC 003/2022 states that the amendment Regulations were made on 20 May 2022 and will come into force on 23 November 20221. The changes apply only to buildings and building work in Wales1.
The amendments cover energy efficiency, ventilation and overheating1. They provide for new ways of measuring energy efficiency using new performance metrics, change the way on-site electricity generation systems are regulated, and introduce regulation on overheating mitigation1. Where building work falls under Part L, the ventilation must comply with the standard set out in Part F of Schedule 1 or be no worse than the standard before the Part L works took place1. The regulations also require mechanical ventilation air flow rate testing on existing dwellings which undergo notifiable building work1.
The new documents replace earlier guidance. Approved Document L1A (2014 edition, conservation of fuel and power in new dwellings) and Approved Document L1B (2014 edition, conservation of fuel and power in existing dwellings) are withdrawn, along with sections 5 and 7 of Approved Document F (2010 edition) covering new and existing dwellings1. The withdrawal of approval takes effect on 23 November 2022, with no transitional arrangements1.
"The amendments for 2022 cover energy efficiency, ventilation and overheating and will take effect on 23/11/2022."
| Approved Document | Takes effect |
|---|---|
| F, Ventilation, Volume 1: Dwellings, 2022 edition | 23 November 20221 |
| L, Conservation of fuel and power, Volume 1: Dwellings, 2022 edition | 23 November 20221 |
| O, Overheating, 2022 edition | 23 November 20221 |
Transitional arrangements apply to individual buildings. The regulations and new Approved Documents do not apply where building work has already commenced or is started within 12 months of the regulations coming into force, provided a relevant notification has been given1. Where an application covers several buildings on a site, only those individual buildings for which work has commenced can use the transitional provisions1.
Why it matters for households
The changes affect what is built into a home and what information a householder receives about it. Under the amendments, the person carrying out building work must provide the owner with information about systems for on-site electricity generation, and sufficient information about provisions made under Part O on overheating1. A new requirement also requires confirmation with a local authority that a system for on-site electricity generation has been commissioned1. For homes in Wales, the metrics used to measure energy efficiency change, and overheating mitigation becomes a regulated matter rather than guidance alone1. Homes in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are covered by separate regimes, which these regulations do not alter1.
What happens next
The transitional window runs for 12 months from 23 November 2022, so work on an individual building that has already commenced or starts before 23 November 2023 can proceed under the previous arrangements, provided the relevant notification was given1. The circular gives no further dated steps beyond that.