Venting Their Spleens - Fury At Trickle Vent Enforcement

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The Industry is furious at the notion that trickle vents will become mandatory under revised Building Regulations along with the lowering of U-values and the increase in WER/DSER bandings for windows and doors.

Window Energy Ratings/Doorset Energy Ratings.

FENSA Approved installers were asked for their views in a survey intended to gather views in relation to Approved Document F (Ventilation) and Approved Document L (Conservation of Fuel & Power) which deal specifically with the performance of windows and doors in domestic dwellings for new build, refurbishment and home improvement.

The proposed mandatory installation of trickle vents on all replacement windows saw 92% of respondents give the idea a big thumbs down and when asked if they believed if homeowners would object to having trickle vents on all replacement windows, a whopping 97% believed their customers would ‘probably’ or ‘definitely’ object.

80% of installers said making trickle vents mandatory would cost them money in lost business.   

 

Ignorance

Mind you, just under half of those responding declared they were not aware that Approved Documents L and F are currently available for consultation - this did not stop them from taking their opportunity to air their views.

The question ‘do you support the lowering of U-values and the increase in WER bandings for windows?’ brought an almost 50-50 response in favour and against.

 

Future Homes Standard

The revised Building Regulations, also known as the Future Homes Standard, are being presented by the government as plans to radically improve the energy performance of new homes, with all homes to be highly energy efficient, with low carbon heating and be zero carbon ready by 2025. The plans are subject to a public consultation that ends on 13 April.

The government expects new homes will produce 31% lower emissions from 2021, whilst existing homes will also be subject to higher standards, with a focus on extensions and the replacement of windows as well as other services. For replacement windows this means a reduction in the U-values from a minimum of 1.6 W/m²K to 1.4 W/m²K.

 

 “Overall the proposed improvements in the performance of windows and doors in the Building Regulations are good news for FENSA Approved Installers, as homeowners seek to improve the performance of their homes. But it is important that installers make their feelings known, especially on subjects such as trickle vents, both through FENSA and direct to the government.”

– Anda Gregory 

Managing Director, FENSA

 

Against mandatory fitting

"To ensure that the views of those in the front line are fully known and appreciated. It is emphatically clear from the survey that installers continue to be against the mandatory fitting of trickle vents and we hope that the government takes these responses into consideration in the consultation process,” adds FENSA's Gregory.

 

Consultation ends

With the consultation ending on 13 April FENSA is asking all installers to make their feelings known as quickly as possible responding direct to the government via email:

FutureBuildingsStandardConsultation@communities.gov.uk

Picture: FENSA has called its members and in a survey, none of them are happy about mandatory trickle vents in windows.

www.fensa.org.uk

 

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
08th March 2021

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