Summary
The Department of Finance carried out a 20-week public consultation on a discussion document reviewing energy efficiency requirements and related areas of Building Regulations.
Documents
- Discussion Document and Pre-consultation on next steps Revision 1
- Draft Equality Impact Screening
- Preliminary stage Rural Needs Impact Assessment .
Consultation description
The document includes pre-consultation detail outlining potential next steps on a range of inter-related areas, including:
- conservation of fuel and power
- ventilation
- mitigation of overheating in dwellings; and
- electric vehicle charging infrastructure to parking spaces at buildings.
The consultation will help prepare for quite significant changes, including steps that would make conventional boilers using the highest carbon intensity fuels, such as home heating oil, unviable in most new buildings. It explores expectations for low-carbon heating, such as heat-pumps or heat networks for new buildings and considers wider issues, such as embodied carbon in materials and background assumptions in assessment methodologies.
Various sub-sections of the document can be responded to independently on the Citizen Space website link below.
A further consultation, accompanied by proposed regulations, Technical Booklet guidance and impact assessments, will be required prior to the implementation of any changes.
The Department is considering all responses to this consultation received on or before the closing date and will publish a response in due course.
Awareness Events
The following online webinar events for stakeholders took place during the consultation period:
Event 1 – Wednesday 30 August 2023 at 1:30pm: An introductory session to explain the background and reason for the consultation, with an overview of the proposals and issues explored.
You can access a recording of this event here
Event 2- Wednesday 6 September 2023 at 1:30pm: Part F (Conservation of fuel and power), potential ‘next step’ proposals for new-builds, focussing on Sections 3A and 4A of the consultation discussion document. An extended session (2:30-3pm) will review the potential scenarios for a semi-detached house based outlined in Annex B of the consultation.
You can access a recording of this event here
Event 3- Wednesday 13 September 2023 at 1:30pm: Part F (Conservation of fuel and power), potential ‘next step’ proposals for standards where working is being carried out on existing buildings. This session will focus on Sections 3B and 4B of the consultation discussion document.
You can access a recording of this event here
Event 4- Wednesday 27 September 2023 at 1:30pm: Part K (Ventilation), potential ‘next step’ proposals for ventilation and considerations for the future. This session will focus on Sections 3C and 4C of the consultation discussion document.
You can access a recording of this event here
Event 5- Wednesday 4 October 2023 at 1:30pm: ‘Next step’ proposals to mitigate overheating in dwellings and residential buildings. This session will focus on Section 3D of the consultation discussion document.
You can access a recording of this event here
Event 6- Wednesday 11 October 2023 at 1:30pm: Electric Vehicle infrastructure provisions for parking spaces adjacent to buildings. This session will focus on Sections 3E (for dwellings) and 4D (for other buildings) of the consultation discussion document.
You can access a recording of this event here
Event 7- Wednesday 18 October 2023 at 1:30pm: Considerations around future aspects. This session will outline issues and developments in other regions likely to influence an uplift in 2026/27, (see Section 5 of the consultation) and concurrent issues, including National Calculation Methodology assumptions and embodied carbon assessment, (see Section 6 of the consultation).
You can access a recording of this event here
Ways to respond
Consultation closed — responses are no longer being accepted.