The results of a recent Energy Efficiency Partnership survey of new homes in occupation make for rather depressing reading: they show that almost half of all new houses in England are failing to meet minimum ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Regulations requirements.

Researchers from BRE visited 100 new homes built under the 2002 regulations and examined boiler installations, loft and pipe insulation, lighting and glazing. These elements were then compared with exactly what was promised to the local council when it gave ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Regulations approval.

The results have been presented to government officials and the advisory committee on ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Regulations, as well as to building control officers. While it has long been acknowledged that there has always been some cheating on implementation, most observers are genuinely shocked at how poor the rates of compliance are.

The simplest way to check for air leakage is to measure the number of air changes, a concept long opposed by the House Builders Federation. This survey has, I hope, increased the likelihood of random testing being permitted when further revisions to the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Regulations are introduced later this year.

Others who ought to be alarmed by the survey are those parts of government responsible for delivering carbon saving programmes in homes. During this decade, the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Regulations are supposed to deliver one-sixth of all residential sector savings.

Andrew Warren, director, Association for the Conservation of Energy; deputy chair, Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes

Source

ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Sustainable Design