Government Change Building Industry Laws

From the 1st October 2010, Government changes to building industry law mean that all replacement windows will need no less than a “C” Energy Rating.

At present, and up until the 30th September 2010, all replacement windows and doors that are installed only have to be of Energy Band Rating “E” or above, but replacement windows and doors installed on or after 1st October 2010 must have a Window Energy Rating (WER) of at least band “C” or a combined U Value of 1.6 W/m2K. These major changes by the new Government are a bid to help reduce the UK’s carbon emissions, cutting energy consumption and heating bills.

Under the current Part L Building Regulations that will remain in force till Thursday 30th September 2010, there is no obligation to replace existing windows, although it is possible that the Government could, at a later date, introduce a requirement for property owners to replace highly inefficient windows and install energy rated double glazed windows in their place.

As no property owner will be legally allowed to install windows that have a BFRC energy rating of “D” or less after 30th September, these changes have significant implications for both consumers and suppliers within the industry. Over 70% of the companies supplying replacement double glazed windows in the UK do not supply a BFRC recognised energy efficient window, meaning that the entire stock range of many of these companies is quite literally going to become obsolete overnight.

Homeowners will also be affected, as there could be a quick surge by property owners to order replacement windows, to not only match those already in the home, but also to save money on the cost of upgrading to Energy “C” rated windows or above, to ensure they are supplied and fitted before 30th September 2010.

Most energy efficient windows do cost more, as to comply with the energy rating criteria set by the British Fenestration Rating Council, they have a higher specification. However, Britelite are one of the few companies that offer A-rated energy efficient windows as standard to all our customers so the introduction of these new regulations will not affect us, nor will you see a change in our pricing.