Insulation and Building Regulations

Did you know that since April 2006, if you are refurbishing 50% of your roof, you are required by law to upgrade the insulation on your flat roof? This is to comply with the conservation of fuel and power in existing dwellings Part L Vol1 & 2.

Obviously, complying with these regulations comes with additional costs as scaffolding is normally required and costs for additional or new insulation.

To help you with these extra costs, the government had set up an incentive scheme to help homeowners meet their CO2 emissions targets. Previously they had reduced the amount of VAT you have to pay from 20% to 5% which was a huge saving. This also applied to any other work required as a result of your insulation upgrade. For example, an extension warm roof with new fascia boards, guttering, roof covering and insulation would all have been at 5% VAT. Now the Government has zero rated it in an effort to encourage more households to install environmentally friendly energy systems, at a time when bills are reaching all-time highs.

The cost saving for a warm roof could be significant, and depending on the size of your flat roof you could save around £300.00 in heating costs each year.