Rules and Regulation news, page 49
- June 2022
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.
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.
Insulation and GlazingYour Type of HomeCooling and Air Conditioning
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Scottish Retrofit Standards Working Group to be set up by Summer 2022
The Scottish Government's May 2022 quality assurance policy statement commits to a Scottish Retrofit Standards Working Group by summer 2022 to oversee PAS 2035/30 standards in Scotland.
Updated ventilation standards enacted
Ventilation standards introduced on 15 June 2022 place explicit responsibility on contractors, sub-contractors and installers to ensure work complies with Part F of the Building Regulations.
- May 2022
Ofgem announces administration of Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Ofgem has taken over administration of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which opened to applications on 23 May 2022 and offers grants towards heat pumps and biomass boilers in England and Wales.
Chancellor outlines financial support following Commons BEIS Committee appearance
The End Fuel Poverty Coalition has written to Ofgem's chief executive asking for five urgent energy market reforms, citing the Chancellor's 26 May 2022 support announcement that followed his Commons committee appearance.
Government announces cost of living package funded partly by windfall tax
The Chancellor announced a £15bn package of support for households on 26 May 2022, including a £400 energy grant, a £650 payment for means tested benefit claimants and a 25% levy on oil and gas profits.
Government announces energy bills support measures in House of Commons
The End Fuel Poverty Coalition has written to the Chancellor listing ten unanswered questions about the energy bills support announced in the House of Commons on 26 May 2022, warning it will not fix fuel poverty.
Ofgem chief tells MPs October price cap likely to rise to about £2,800
Ofgem's chief executive told MPs the household energy price cap is likely to rise to about £2,800 in October, an increase of roughly £800 on the level then in force.
Outcome documents published for Part L review
The Welsh Government has published the summary of responses and final impact assessment from its review of Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations, two years after the consultation closed.