The Air Tightness Testing & Measurement Association (ATTMA) is urging the industry to support the newly released BEAMA position paper, which calls for crucial updates to the UK’s Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). In a significant move towards better housing standards, the report advocates for the inclusion of indoor air quality (IAQ) metrics within EPCs to address widespread health risks linked to poor ventilation in UK homes.
BEAMA’s position paper highlights that while current EPCs focus primarily on energy efficiency, they miss critical indoor health indicators that directly impact residents’ well-being. With this reform, EPCs would go beyond energy ratings to consider indoor air quality, helping to prevent issues such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases that are increasingly associated with poor ventilation and inadequate building standards.
We fully support BEAMA’s push to integrate indoor air quality into EPCs. This is a progressive step towards a healthier and more sustainable built environment. – Barry Cope
“We fully support BEAMA’s push to integrate indoor air quality into EPCs,” said Barry Cope, Managing Director of ATTMA. “This is a progressive step towards a healthier and more sustainable built environment. By expanding the scope of EPCs to include IAQ, we’re not just improving energy efficiency but also safeguarding public health – a responsibility we should all share.”
Nathan Wood, Indoor Air Quality Chair of BEAMA, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Incorporating IAQ metrics into EPCs is essential to addressing the serious health impacts of poor air quality in our homes. The time has come to prioritise IAQ alongside energy efficiency to ensure that UK homes are not only sustainable but also safe and healthy for the people who live in them.”
With this recommendation, BEAMA and ATTMA aim to lead the UK’s building industry towards a future where homes are assessed not only on energy efficiency but also on their contribution to healthier indoor environments. ATTMA encourages industry professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders to review BEAMA’s position paper and consider the long-term impact of adopting IAQ metrics within EPCs.
The document can be downloaded here: https://www.beama.org.uk/static/cd0375c7-59a0-4be9-9ba56ebfdb7e7cf5/BEAMA-EPC-Reform-Position-Paper.pdf
