Building Regulation changes for 2022
Late 2021, building regulation changes for England were published by Government. These will com into effect from June 15th 2022.
Replacement UPVC windows in existing dwellings
This sector of the market will now be required to meet a minimum WER ‘B’ rating or 1.4W/m2.K whole window  U-value including glazing.
To achieve this, most windows will need to swap aluminium spacer bars for warm edge spacer bars. A typical IGU would be made up as:
4mm clear glass / 16 or 20mm warm edge spacer & Argon filled cavity / 4mm soft coat low e glass
This is virtually 90% of our current production and is almost standard and generally achieves WER band ‘A’ in most window systems.
Timber windows can have an overall U-value of 1.6W/m2.K and may well use the same unit make up.
New build dwellings
Here, the performance requirements are slightly different but a 1.2W/m2.K overall U-value has been put forward and will be the main qualifying criteria. This will require most UPVC windows to be glazed with a better performing IGU. Most systems should be able to meet the new legislation using a 1.0 glass.  A typical IGU would be:
4mm clear glass / 16 or 20mm warm edge spacer & Argon filled cavity /  4mm Planitherm One (or equivalent low e)
*All windows should be calculated together with the IGU performance to determine if the regulations can be met.
Regency stock both standard soft coat – we use Planitherm Total + FG and Planitherm One. These will help achieve the required U-values.
The biggest change will be that aluminium spacer bar would no longer meet the requirements and will be phased out as the June deadline approaches. Aluminium spacer bar is currently imported into the UK and due to component suppliers not wishing to be left with unwanted stock, the discontinuation of aluminium spacers could well accelerate and happen before the rules change.
More information can be found using the link below.