Powering Homes news, page 102
- June 2022
Part L uplift and Part O came into effect
The 2021 uplift to Part L of the Building Regulations and the new Part O overheating requirement took effect on 15 June 2022, setting fabric and ventilation standards for new homes in England.
Rules and RegulationInsulation and GlazingYour Type of HomeCooling and Air Conditioning
Renault announces UK pricing and specification for All-New Mégane E-Tech Electric
Renault has confirmed UK pricing and specification for the All-New Mégane E-Tech Electric, a three-model range starting at £35,995 on the road and open for pre-order ahead of deliveries later in 2022.
New ventilation standards introduced through Approved Document F
Approved Document F, introduced on 15 June 2022, set new Building Regulation ventilation standards and made compliance the explicit responsibility of contractors, sub-contractors and installers.
Enphase UK limited warranty updated
Enphase Energy updated its UK limited warranty on 14 June 2022 to reflect new product names and a new customer support number, with no change to the warranty periods themselves.
SSEN publishes Whole System Register to build cross-sector collaboration
SSEN Distribution has published a Whole System Register listing its innovation and business as usual activities for net zero, with annual updates and a feedback section for stakeholders.
Citizens Advice warns 585,000 private renters risk missing energy bill support
Citizens Advice says 585,000 private renters whose landlords control their energy bills may be unable to claim the £150 Warm Home Discount and the £400 grant due in October.
Your Type of HomeEnergy SuppliersEnergy Bills and the Price Cap
UK government publishes Storm Arwen action plan ordering network operators to improve storm responses
The UK government has published an action plan ordering electricity distribution network operators to improve storm resilience, communications and compensation after Storm Arwen left around one million households without power.
Vaillant heat pump retrofit at Rivermead House cuts tenant bills
Derby Homes fitted 54 off-gas-grid flats at Rivermead House with individual Vaillant aroTHERM 5kW air source heat pumps at £6,000 per flat, cutting typical household energy costs from about £1,250 to £730 a year.
West Midlands households lined up for free retrofit under Sustainable Warmth funding
More than 300 homes in Foleshill, Coventry and Elmdon, Solihull will receive free insulation, heating systems and solar panels under Sustainable Warmth funding, with work due to start in September.
E3G publishes Home Energy Security Strategy calling for national retrofit mission
E3G has published a Home Energy Security Strategy urging the government to launch a national retrofit mission, warning that 15.3 million households face an inefficiency penalty of £916 a year.
Scottish Government publishes quality assurance policy statement for Heat in Buildings strategy
The Scottish Government has published a quality assurance policy statement for its Heat in Buildings strategy, setting out plans for approved suppliers, retrofit standards, installer skills and enforcement against scams.
Scottish Government publishes response to LIWHA consultation
The Scottish Government has confirmed Low Income Winter Heating Assistance will replace Cold Weather Payments in Scotland from winter 2022-23, paying £50 a year without a cold weather trigger.
Amended building standards for new buildings published
Amended Scottish building standards for new buildings, applying to all building warrants applied for on or after 1 December 2022, were published in June 2022 and include provisions supporting the New Build Heat Standard.
Average bill estimates published for UK households
Energy Helpline has published estimated annual and monthly gas and electricity bills for UK homes using June 2022 prices, putting a three-bed home at £1,793.21 a year and a one to two bedroom home at £1,178.16.
Briefing updated with estimate that 9 million homes missed insulation upgrades since 2013
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit has updated its briefing on insulation and gas prices, estimating that nine million homes missed upgrades and that £4.57 billion in extra gas costs will have accrued by the end of March 2023.
Building Regulations require thermostatic room controls on boiler replacement in England
Building Regulations changes mean each room in an existing English dwelling must have thermostatic room controls when a boiler is replaced, a requirement applying from June 2022.
Climate Change Committee publishes 2022 Progress Report to Parliament warning of major failures in home energy efficiency delivery
The Climate Change Committee's 2022 Progress Report to Parliament identified "major failures in delivery programmes" on home energy efficiency and called for more homes to be insulated.
ECO3 Interim Delivery ended
The three-month ECO3 Interim Delivery window, which let energy suppliers install measures under older ECO3 rules and scoring, closed on 30 June 2022 ahead of the ECO4 scheme.
Energy Advice Service to launch on GOV.UK by summer 2022
The government's British Energy Security Strategy, published in April 2022, commits to launching a comprehensive Energy Advice Service on GOV.UK by summer 2022 to help consumers improve their homes' energy performance.
Energy firms made 187,000 PPM warrant applications in six months
Freedom of information requests showed energy firms applied for 187,000 warrants to force households onto prepayment meters in the first six months of 2022, part of 500,000 since lockdown ended.
EO reveals latest generation of home and commercial chargers
EO Charging has supplied its EO Mini Pro 3 home charger to Viridian Solar under a distribution deal aimed at housebuilders meeting Building Regulations that require solar and EV charging on new homes.
Government announces end of £1,500 electric car grant
The Government has ended the £1,500 grant for new electric car purchases, removing purchase support at a time when electric households are reported to save £1,180 a year on running costs.
Government introduces four-year smart meter regulatory framework
The government introduced a four-year regulatory framework with binding targets for suppliers in 2022, as the National Audit Office reports the rollout remains years behind its original completion date.
Green Open Homes Week held in Oxford
More than 150 visitors toured 38 Oxford homes during Green Open Homes Week in June 2022, part of an Energy Saving Homes project run by nine community groups with Low Carbon Hub funding.
Guidance updated for Part L 2021 and Part O 2021
The Greater London Authority has updated its energy assessment guidance for planning applications, setting out how London Plan carbon targets apply now that Part L 2021 and Part O 2021 are in force.
Interim Part F and Part L building regulation changes take effect
Interim changes to Parts F and L of the building regulations have applied since June 2022, requiring new homes in England to produce 31 per cent less carbon dioxide than previous standards.
Northern Ireland introduced Phase 1 interim uplift
Northern Ireland's Department of Finance has confirmed that Phase 1 of its building regulations review delivered an interim uplift to energy efficiency standards from June 2022, ahead of further planned phases.
Rules and RegulationScotland, Wales and Northern IrelandInsulation and Glazing
Ofgem confirms CfD allowance methodology from cap period nine onwards
Ofgem has confirmed how the Contracts for Difference allowance inside the default tariff cap will be calculated from cap period nine, removing the £0/MWh floor that stopped negative scheme costs reaching household bills.
Part L compliance date for heating controls takes effect in England
BEAMA guidance confirms that Part L of the Building Regulations applies to heating controls installed with gas or oil boilers in England from June 2022, with Wales following in November 2022.
Part S of the Buildings Regulations comes into force
Statutory guidance requiring at-home electric vehicle charging provision in all new residential buildings in England came into force in June 2022, with further security rules following that December.