Changes to Part L are part of a wider Government plan working towards the Future Homes Standard, which sets an upper limit on the energy required to heat spaces within new homes, and remains a key facet of the roadmap to the government’s goal of ‘net-zero by 2050’ – despite recent U-turns.
The aim is that an average home will produce at least 75% lower CO2 emissions by 2035, and homes built under the Future Homes Standard will be future-proofed and not require any further retrofit work for energy efficiency. Furthermore, by delivering carbon reductions through the fabric and building services rather than relying on wider carbon offsetting, the Standard will ensure new homes have a smaller carbon footprint than any previous Government policy. In addition, this footprint will continue to reduce over time as the electricity grid decarbonises.
However, the Government is avoiding the bigger challenge facing Britain and that is our existing housing stock. According to the Climate Change Committee, the number of home energy efficiency installations with Government support tumbled from 2.3 million in 2012 to just 93,500 in 2021. The recent announcement to deliver the Great British Insulation Scheme over the next three years (2023-2026) is expected to achieve little overall.
The cheapest energy is that we don’t use, yet Britain’s housing stock is the leakiest and oldest in Europe. Eighty per cent of our homes are 80+ years old and 30% of our energy is being wasted at present. Meanwhile, rising fuel prices and wider living costs are placing increasing pressure on finances.
With up to 40% of the UK’s energy consumption used for heating homes, improving energy efficiency in ALL buildings must sit at the centre of the Government’s forward strategy.
As a specialist distributor of insulation systems and solutions, and with a heritage spanning over four decades, we work with market leading brands to stock and supply a comprehensive range of high-performance Building Insulation. In fact, our company name ‘Encon’ is derived from the words ‘Energy Conservation’.
While we can’t influence Government action, or lack of, we do recognise the challenge for merchants and contractors to strike a positive balance between regulatory requirements and individual project needs and budgets. So, our knowledgeable and experienced teams across our nationwide branches support customers at every stage of their retrofit or new build projects, helping them to navigate the abundance of available products and understand the different options by application so they can choose the best solution.
Our role as an established distributor is to continually add value to the supply chain. As an essential conduit between manufacturers and our customers, much effort is attached to providing a wide choice, on-time deliveries, and the right guidance.
Many of our specialist branch teams have years of industry experience and longstanding supplier and customer relationships built on trust, understanding our customer’s direct or client needs and providing reliable support at every step.
To find out how we can support your next building insulation project, find your nearest Encon branch in our branch locator and talk to our team or view our comprehensive range.
Encon Insulation is a specialist distribution division of The Encon Group, supplying market-leading thermal solutions for roofs, floors and walls across a myriad of domestic and commercial projects.
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