Zero-carbon home
requirements to be reintroduced

In the final session of the report stage of the Housing and Planning Bill the House voted to reintroduce zero-carbon homes as standard.

The subsequent outcome of this ruling is that all new homes built from April 2018 will be required to achieve a new carbon compliance standard.

The Government first mooted plans to scrap the zero-carbon standard in its 2014 Infrastructure Bill, seemingly admitting defeat in its plan to make new homes carbon neutral from 2016.

However, a survey carried out by National Building Specification (NBS) at the time suggested that almost half (48 per cent) of architects, consultants, clients and contractors believed the zero-carbon standards should remain compulsory.

Julie Hirigoyen, CEO, UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC), said: “During the ten years prior to July 2015, the leading players spanning the housebuilding industry – developers, product manufacturers, contractors and engineers – got behind Zero-Carbon Homes, investing heavily and innovating to make it a reality.

“The unexpected and unwanted scrapping of the policy made a mockery of the government’s green credentials, and demonstrated complete disdain for the quality of the nation’s new homes and the industry’s investment.

“Having supported the Paris climate agreement with much fanfare, cutting carbon from new homes and buildings will be vital to achieving our commitments.

“Reintroducing the zero-carbon homes standard would be a clear next step on this journey, and would provide the certainty the industry needs to continue investing in new skills and technologies.”

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We’re able to accurately calculate the U-value of every single rooflight that leaves our machining centre. Even our fully-insulated Upstands boast U-values of just 0.58, with zero per cent chance of condensation.

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