Powering Homes News: page 99
- June 2022
Citizens Advice responds to BEIS consultation on changes to the Energy Bills Support Scheme
Citizens Advice has backed the government's decision to raise the Energy Bills Support Scheme payment to £400 and make it a grant, while warning that prepayment meter customers and those in arrears could miss out.
Rules and RegulationEnergy Bills and the Price CapEnergy Suppliers
NAO publishes report on the energy supplier market
The National Audit Office has published a report on the energy supplier market, finding that Ofgem allowed suppliers with weak finances to enter and that consumers bore the cost of 29 failures.
Citizens Advice launches Energy Price Support Review with SMF and Public First
Citizens Advice has announced an Energy Price Support Review with the Social Market Foundation and Public First, to report in Spring 2023 on long-term help for households struggling most with energy bills.
SSEN completes Automated Power Restoration System project in Oxfordshire
SSEN has completed a nine month project costing nearly £176,000 to install automated technology that can restore power to more than 150,000 Oxfordshire customers in under three minutes.
Approved Document F ventilation rules come into force
Building regulations known as Approved Document F took effect on 15 June 2022, requiring extra background ventilation in habitable rooms when more than 30% of a property's windows are replaced.
Approved Document L restructured into two volumes
From 15 June 2022 Approved Document L is restructured into two volumes covering dwellings and other buildings, replacing the four parts L1A, L1B, L2A and L2B in England.
Approved Document S takes effect
Approved Document S, the technical guidance on electric vehicle charge point infrastructure in the Building Regulations, takes effect in England on 15 June 2022.
New Building Regulations parts F, L and O come into force
Revisions to Parts F and L and the new Part O of the Building Regulations took effect on 15 June 2022, cutting carbon emissions in new homes and non-domestic buildings and adding ventilation and overheating rules.
Building Regulations require thermostatic room controls when a boiler is replaced in England
New building regulations in England from 15 June 2022 require thermostatic room controls, including TRVs, to be added to heating systems when a boiler is replaced.
Changes to Approved Documents F and L take effect and new Approved Documents O and S introduced
Changes to Approved Documents F and L took effect on 15 June 2022, alongside two new documents covering overheating in homes and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Nesta and BIT publish UK-wide heat pump demand trial results
A UK-wide trial of 8,016 homeowners by Nesta and the Behavioural Insights Team found interest-free loans and lower running costs each raise stated heat pump choice, and together lift it to 36%.
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.