12 THE INDUSTRY ADVOCATE THERE MAY BE


Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders


N


ot for the fi rst time, small, local house- builders are facing some tough months ahead. While the industry closed out 2021 on a relative high with workloads doing well, it has since been hit by soaring in ation, a rise in energy costs, and a war in kraine which is sending fuel and some materials costs sky high. ast year, builders’ main worry was about getting the materials, now it is whether they can afford those materials. With costs rising fast, the growing concern is that the future viability of sites will become a very real issue over the next year.


SIGNIFICANT CHANGES AHEAD FOR BUILDING REGULATIONS


his une will see signifi cant changes to uild- ing egulations. hese are aimed at improving the energy effi ciency of buildings to help the country move towards its targets for net zero carbon by 200. ssentially, what this means is that the overnment wants newly built property to have less carbon emissions  with ineffi cient buildings being a major contributor, this is an important step. ven more changes will be coming in a few years to make build- ings more energy effi cient, but these measures are a stopgap until then.


LAST YEAR, BUILDERS’ MAIN WORRY WAS GETTING THEIR MATERIALS, NOW IT IS WHETHER THEY CAN AFFORD MATERIALS


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he idea of these interim measures is to make the changes that will be introduced around the middle of this decade less severe for builders, and also to go some way to cut carbon emissions in the meantime. While the  welcomes the interim changes, and the fact that large scale changes weren’t introduced all at once, the new measures do nevertheless present a real challenge for  housebuilders. osts will inevitably go up and some in the industry have said that these changes are the most signifi cant they’ve ever seen, despite being a stopgap to bigger measures ahead.


WHAT’S GOING ON WITH RED DIESEL? he construction industry has normally used red diesel in the machines it runs ‘off-road,’ and many fi rms have their own tanks and


TURBULENCE AHEAD


Brain Berry confronts some of the myriad challenges that housebuilders are facing at present, including ricing prices, infl ation, shortages and new regulations.


pumps to refuel vehicles in yards before they are transported to site. rom April, no machines engaged on a construction project will be able to use red diesel. his means builders will be switching to fuel products without any rebates, which will hit them hard in their pockets. With rising costs putting many  construction fi rms under increasing pressure, the majority will inevitably turn to regular diesel, which will not deliver this policy’s objective to cut carbon. he industry has been calling on the overnment to delay this policy to help our beleaguered sector, hit by price rises elsewhere. o maximise the green potential of this policy change, a positive way forward would be to see the overnment end the rebate of biofuels, as biodiesel emits up to 0 less carbon than regular diesel but on average costs 10-1 more. his change would help as electric and hydrogen-powered equipment alternatives are not yet readily available.


WAR IN UKRAINE


he distressing events in kraine are now sadly familiar to all of us, creating the biggest humanitarian crisis in urope since 1. here is also the impact on both the construction industry and consumers within


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