Housing Forum and CIH among bodies to respond to DLHUC consultation that closes today
Sector bodies have called for more support for social landlords to meet the government鈥檚 latest proposed energy efficient rules for new homes.
The Housing Forum and the Chartered Institute of Housing are among the bodies to respond to the government鈥檚 technical consultation on the Future Homes and 黑洞社区s Standards, which closes today.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is proposing further measures to improve the energy efficiency of homes, including airtightness requirements and a ban on fossil fuel-fired boilers and hydrogen and biofuels.
Its aim is to ensure homes built from 2025 will produce 75% to 80% less carbon emissions than those built under current regulations, contributing to the UK鈥檚 target of achieving net zero by 2050.
DLUHC is consulting on two specification options for new homes. 鈥極ption 1鈥� has higher additional build costs but lower bills for residents, as it includes solar PV panels, a wastewater heat recovery system, increased airtightness and a decentralised mechanical ventilation system. 鈥極ption 2鈥� does not have these elements so has lower additional build costs.
>> See also: What the Future Homes Standard means for net zero
The Housing Forum in its submission said it supports the more ambitious 鈥榦ption 1鈥� but had some concerns around the real-world performance of mechanical cooling.
In its submission, the CIH said it prefers the first option, adding that option 2 would be a 鈥渕issed opportunity to tackle fuel poverty鈥�. But it added that it wanted a 鈥済enuine long-term plan鈥� for housing to be established.
The institute also said an 18-month transition period is too short a timeframe to adjust business plans and policy to meet the requirements, adding: 鈥淎 longer transitional period will enable design assessments and development pipelines to be fully compliant.鈥�
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