Martyn Bridges, director of marketing and technical support at Worcester, Bosch Group, said: “Although the requirement for a six per cent carbon improvement on 2010 regulations is lower than the eight per cent originally considered, we shouldn’t underestimate the size of the impact this change is likely to make. The move is certainly a step in the right direction and crucially, keeps us moving towards the ultimate target of zero carbon homes.”
Mr Bridges also made the suggestion that the treasury’s involvement may have played a part in a watering down of the original target. He added: “With the construction sector appearing to be in a state of recovery, it is nevertheless important that we don’t encumber house builders with too many additional cost requirements.
“While the dilution of the original proposals may force the sector to push back its 2016 zero carbon homes target, the most important thing is that the new requirements are practical and maintain the momentum which has already been established. Although in their early stages, the government’s RHI and Green Deal initiatives have begun to position emissions high on the industry’s agenda.
“We might not be able to view the new Part L requirement as the start of a revolution, but it is certainly a sensible outcome for England’s construction sector.”