Building Regulations Hub
Updated Building Regulations for England and Wales
Taking effect from 15th June 2022
Effecting new builds, renovations & commercial builds
What does this mean for you?
The updated Building Regulations include amendments to Approved Documents - Part F (Ventilation) and Part L (Conservation of fuel and power), and the release of a new Approved Document for Overheating (Part O). The proposals are primarily focused on new non-domestic buildings and include policies for existing non-domestic buildings and new and existing housing.
“This marks an important step on our journey towards a cleaner, greener built environment and it supports us in our target to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050.”
Key changes
Reduction of carbon emissions for new builds
Reduction of carbon emissions for commercial buildings
New Approved Document, Part O: Overheating
Updated guidance on ventilation systems
Maximum flow temperature for new heating systems
Enforced from 15th June 2022, all Building Regulation applications received from this date will need to adhere to the new standards.
Transitional Provision
Approved Documents F (volume 2), L (volumes 1 and 2) and O will come into effect on 15 June 2022. However they will not apply in relation to building work on a particular building, where an initial notice has been registered, in respect of that building, before 15th June 2022, provided that the building work on that building is started before 15th June 2023.
- All new build homes must reduce their carbon emissions by 30%. This marks an important step towards the goal for all new homes to be net-zero ready by 2050.
- A new Approved Document, Part O has been created to tackle the issue of overheating in homes. The document holds two methods of compliance, the Simplified Method (considering the size and orientation of glazing and comparing glazing to floor area) and Dynamic Thermal Analysis (predicting the risk of overheating and offering mitigation strategies).
- Adoption of the Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard, a proposed maximum space heating and cooling energy demand for zero carbon homes. This considers Fabric U-values, thermal bridging, external heat gain, and more to measure energy efficiency in new homes.
- All new and replacement heating systems will have to be designed with a maximum flow temperature of 55°C or lower, as part of the Part L uplift.
- An uplift of the minimum fabric standards and fixed building services.
- New or replacement heating systems are required to be designed to accept low-carbon heating, including Ecodesign appliance benchmarks.
- New whole house calculation method for extensions to existing homes, with the introduction of a primary energy and fabric energy efficiency metric.
- Updated guidance on ventilation systems.
- A 27% cut on emissions from new commercial buildings, including offices and shops, in line with 2050 net-zero commitments.
- Updated guidance on ventilation systems.
CPD: Part L1 Update
Director of Energy Services, Andy Mitchell, hosts an on-demand 30-minute CPD on Part L1 of the updated Building Regulations. Register for free now.
Part L1 Update (30 mins CPD)Future Homes Standard
The updated Building Regulations for England and Wales were published following the Government’s response to the Future Homes Standard consultation, which sought views on changes to Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) and F (Ventilation) of the Building Regulations.
Within this, the Government confirmed that a full technical consultation for the launch of the Future Buildings Standard will begin in 2023, ahead of updating building regulations again in 2025. The Government also announced a new consultation, the Future Building Standard. This consultation will look at possible improvements to the energy efficiency of non-domestic buildings, as well as energy efficiency and overheating in new and retrofit homes.
Listen in
MailOnline Podcast
Building Regulations and Overheating Podcast
Our Director of Energy Services, Andy Mitchell, joins The Andrew Pierce Show Podcast on the MailOnline to discuss changes to Building Regulations and Overheating. Listen now to hear the full discussion, from 11 minutes in.
Read all about it:
The Telegraph
Building Regulations and Overheating
Andy Mitchell also spoke to The Telegraph on how the Government’s new Approved Document O will affect the number of conservatories in British homes.
Update to building regulation for
England in 2022
Overview of the updated Building Regulations in England and Wales, and the new SAP 10.2 release
New Approved Document Part O: Overheating
A deep dive into the New Approved Document Part O: Overheating, with key findings and conclusions.
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES): Deadline Extended
Buy-to-let investors now have until 2026 to ensure all properties have an EPC of C or above, with a one-year extension recently announced.
All your news in one place. The Thread Magazine features news and view from across the built environment sector.
Contact us
If you have any questions on the updated Building Regulations, please get in touch and a member of our team will be happy to help.
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