Builders’ get a new green rulebook
March 22, 2010
Changes to the country’s building regulations to make homes, shops and offices warmer and cheaper to run and to take Britain a step closer to meeting its low-carbon commitments were announced last week.
The amendments coming into force this year will make homes 25% more energy efficient, typically saving householders £100 a year on their heating bills.
Building on the "Warm Homes, Greener Homes" strategy announced earlier this month, the Government is continuing its drive towards all new buildings reaching the zero carbon standard from 2019.
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. We must all adapt to ensure that we cut carbon emissions where we can."
The amendments to the building regulations announced last week will come into force in October, giving builders six months to prepare.
Print this page