New government regulations have been announced that state that all new homes and buildings in England will have to produce significantly less CO2 in a move designed to help the country move towards achieving net zero status.
All new homes and buildings in England will have to produce less carbon emissions under new rules recently announced by the government. CO2 emissions from new build homes will be approximately 30% lower than previous standards while emissions from other types of new buildings such as shops and offices will be reduced by 27%. The decision comes in a bid to achieve net zero status for the country given that 40% of the UK’s total energy is used to heat and power buildings.
The installation of low carbon technology such as heat pumps and solar panels will be encouraged and the more energy efficient use of materials in order to keep in heat such as the use of insulation will help to reduce the cost of energy bills for homeowners and to deliver the UK’s climate change ambitions to slash emissions by 78% by the year 2035 – a target that will bring the country more the three-quarters of the way to reaching net zero.
The new regulations also state that that all new residential buildings such as homes, student accommodation and care homes must also be designed to reduce overheating – making sure they are as energy efficient as possible while protecting vulnerable people.
The changes will come into effect from June 2022 and are an important step towards achieving a cleaner and greener built environment. Housing Minister Eddie Hughes released a statement following the announcement:
“Climate change is the greatest threat we face, and we must act to protect our precious planet for future generations. “The government is doing everything it can to deliver net zero and slashing CO2 emissions from homes and buildings is vital to achieving this commitment.
“The changes will significantly improve the energy efficiency of the buildings where we live, work and spend our free time and are an important step on our country’s journey towards a cleaner, greener built environment.”
The shift in regulation comes alongside a £6.6 billion investment for improving the energy efficiency of buildings under the current government. Various schemes offering grants have been made available to low-income households to help fund the installation of energy efficient technologies so that their energy bills can be lowered while the climate targets are being worked towards. The latest figures suggest that 46% of homes in England now have an EPC rating of C or above, a significant increase from 14% in 2010 – proving that progress is being made.
