Future Homes Consultation Update: What you need to know – and what we think
March 28, 2024 | Trade | Written by Nicola Harrison
As the consultation on the changes to Part 6, Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations for dwellings and non-domestic buildings and seeking evidence on Part O comes to a close, we’re looking back over the plans that were announced at the end of 2023.
First, let’s remind ourselves about why the new regulations were originally introduced in the UK.
Reducing UK carbon emissions
The UK government is committed to improving energy efficiency and reducing the amount of carbon emissions produced from both new homes and non-domestic buildings. As a result, a set of approved documents were launched ahead of the Future Homes Standard. Each one focuses on a different topic but provides guidance on how to meet the requirements listed in the Building Regulations.
The consultation period officially went live in December 2023 and explores several key areas. The most relevant to us as a timber window manufacturer and timber window supplier include Part L and Part F. Let’s explore what each one covers.
Part L
Part L focuses on conservation of fuel and power and is designed to make buildings more sustainable and cost effective to heat. It applies to both new builds and renovations to existing dwellings and is achieved by setting standards for insulation, boiler efficiency and ventilation.
Part F
Part F looks at ventilation in buildings. It highlights how adequate fresh air should be readily available in buildings. It sets minimum ventilation rates for dwellings and other buildings by increasing airflow to achieve necessary air quality standards.
Future Homes consultation announcement
Ahead of the consultation, strong evidence suggested that U-values would be lowered below 1.2 under Approved Document L but this was not included in the documentation that went live in December 2023.
So, what impact is this likely to have on the built environment as it steps closer to the 2025 Future Homes Standards?
What is the Bereco view to the Future Homes Standard?
As a company committed to sustainability in every part of our business, we applaud every effort to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. However, we feel that the current level of U-values (the measure of how effective a material – for example a window or a door – is as an insulator) could be even lower, making new and existing buildings more thermally efficient.
For many years we’ve worked tirelessly to ensure that our products deliver exceptional performance to ensure they keep homes well insulated all year round.
Sustainability is truly at the core of our operations which is why we strive to go above and beyond to develop a range of premium building products. In fact, our timber windows and timber doors featuring our standard double glazing successfully meet the notional target and beat the limiting standard specified in the Part L 2023 building regulations for new build homes – with impressive U-values of 1.2W/ m²K. Whereas, our triple glazing U-values start from 0.8W/m²K which means they exceed both the notional target (1.2W/ m²K) and limiting standard (1.4W/ m²K) stipulated in the guidelines.
Time to change across the built environment
To have a bigger impact on the level of greenhouse gas emissions produced across the built environment, we believe more attention should be focused on how to effectively reduce carbon footprints produced by manufacturers.
At Bereco, we predominantly work with timber – a naturally renewable material – and we also consider different issues around packaging, transport and supply chain ethics. We could certainly do more, as could the whole industry. While a holistic, sustainable approach requires thought and commitment, we believe that customers will buy into those firms who go the extra mile.