Part L Building Regulations - 2022 Update

The 2021 edition of the Part L Building Regulations is due to take effect from 15th June 2022, as part of a major update to the latest part L building regulations.

This significant update to existing energy efficiency standards from the part L building regulations in 2020 provides a huge improvement for all buildings and serves as a steppingstone towards the introduction of the Future Homes Standard in 2025.

As a result, the updated Building Regulations comprise of 2 new Approved Documents, which include Uplifts to Part L (fuel and power), and Part F (ventilation), which will take effect on June 15, 2022, and will have a significant impact on both new and existing residences.
Approved Document S, which gives technical guidelines on the installation of electric car charging stations in houses, was also released by the government.

There will be new requirements in new houses to reduce the danger of overheating. In addition, regulations have been strengthened in existing homes to decrease energy consumption and CO2 emissions during home upgrades.
In comparison to previous years, such as the last updated part l building regulations in 2013 and 2010, there have been huge changes implemented to ensure that carbon emissions are reduced, which will ultimately have the potential to increase the quality of homes within the UK if done efficiently.

When was part l of the building regulations introduced?

Part L was first established in 1985 as a 'functional requirement' to ‘make appropriate provision for the conservation of fuel and electricity,' with a short, approved document outlining how to comply. This entailed mostly employing the basic approach to fabric efficiency, as renewables were still seen as 'alternative' at the time.
Part L was revised in 1995, and again in 2002. It first concentrated on energy efficiency and later, in 2002, on reducing CO2 emissions. In 2002, the approved document was separated into domestic and non-domestic components — ADL1 and ADL2, respectively — and a carbon performance calculation technique for non-domestic buildings was developed for those who wished to use it.
Part L underwent a revolution in 2006. The elemental technique was phased out, and SBEM (or, for homes, SAP) was introduced as a means of demonstrating conformity. Part L 2006 was the most significant adjustment to energy-saving measures in buildings in over 20 years, and perhaps the most significant single set of improvements ever implemented in a single set of rules.

The Updated Part L Building Regulations

New Homes

• Emissions from new residences will be reduced by 31%, while emissions from new buildings, such as offices and stores, will be reduced by 27%
• To reduce the risk of overheating in new dwellings, a completely new Building Regulation and Approved Document O have been established. On new residential structures, part l building regulation glazing limitations will be specified, which is an incredibly important element
• Part L now includes an appendix that outlines a good practise specification for a home built with a heat pump.

Existing Homes

• New minimum fabric efficiency criteria have been established because of changes to Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations. For new expansions, for example, there will be a new efficiency metric for the total home calculation approach
• In the future, new or replacement heating system designs will be required to accommodate low-carbon heating, which will include incorporating the newest Ecodesign appliance criteria

A transition period will start until June 2022, when the new laws take effect, which will allow for the processing of current planning applications to come into play.

In Conclusion

Building codes can be difficult to understand, especially if you don't have a sense for the jargon or a history in building. However, there's no need for them to hinder your renovation plans - especially if you've got the proper kind of experienced support on hand!

If you have any further questions about the new Part L building regulations, or any renovation project in general, you can contact our friendly, helpful customer service team on 01472 907051.