Part L of the Building Regulations

Part L of the Building Regulations (England and Wales) contains requirements relating to the conservation of fuel and power. Part L is a direct outcome of the government’s Energy White Paper commitment to raising the energy performance of buildings by limiting heat losses and excessive solar gains and ensuring that energy-efficient fixed building services are installed, and that the building owner is provided with the information required to maintain the building and its services.

While considering government policy, it is important to consider a significant change in the form of the Deregulation Act 2015, which introduces a new dual level to the Building Regulations. The Deregulation Act also brings in a clause that amends the Planning and Energy Act 2008 to prevent local authorities from requiring higher levels of energy efficiency than the Building Regulations. This clause has yet to be commenced.

This section sets out details of the latest revisions to the Building Regulations and Approved Documents (including June 2022 updates), and also considers the background to why the standards have been revised. In addition, a short commentary on the details of the English and Welsh government response and brief details relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland has been provided.

This section is maintained by Mike Codd and Andy Smith of ARCADIS.

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