ODPM has issued an interim amendment to Part L which contains unexpected changes.
As we anticipated, in compliance with the EU Directive, all new boilers installed after 1 April 2005 now have to be SEDBUK rated A or B.
However, the amended document also includes additional changes which relate to the target U-value and the carbon index methods.
An initial assessment suggests that substantial changes will need to be made to the fabric insulation standards of many house types for any applications made after 1 April.
Our earlier advice was that only the boiler specifications would change as we were still negotiating with ODPM for changes to the proposals intended to be introduced in January 2006. We are not aware that anyone was aware of this intermediate amendment.
The amendment can be seen on ODPM's website.
If anyone has any queries please ring 020 7960 1622 or email technical@hbf.co.uk (technical).