The Building Regulations specify how new buildings must be constructed to achieve a minimum level of acceptable performance. They typically cover health, safety, energy performance and accessibility requirements for buildings.
The Building Regulations only apply to new building work and there is no general requirement for all existing buildings to be upgraded to meet these standards. However, certain 'material aterations' can trigger the need to comply with Building Regulations for work to existing buildings.
Most of the energy efficiency requirements of the Building Regulations are in Part L: The Conservation of Fuel and Power.
Energy Efficiency in Historic Buildings is a new series of English Heritage guidance that describes appropriate methods for improving the energy efficiency of older buildings. There are currently 10 guidance documents covering various 'building elements' including walls, floors and roofs all of which can be accessed from the section saving energy in buildings
The series builds on the guidance previously set out in the English Heritage Interim Guidance Note on the Application of Part L of the Building Regulations (2002). This document explains how the energy-efficiency requirements of Part L of the Building Regulations that came into force in April 2006 should be interpreted for traditional buildings.
Building Regulations and Historic Buildings
An interim guidance note that explains how the needs of energy conservation can be balanced with those of building conservation with regard to the application of Part L of the Building Regulations.
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