Part B: Information Matching (2023)
Net-zero Rules Set to Send Cost of New Homes and Extensions Soaring
New building regulations aimed at improving energy efficiency are set to increase the price of new homes, as well as those of extensions and loft conversions on existing ones.
The rules, which came into effect on Wednesday in England, are part of government plans to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. They set new standards for ventilation, energy efficiency and heating, and state that new residential buildings must have charging points for electric vehicles.
The moves are the most significant change to building regulations in years, and industry experts say they will inevitably lead to higher prices at a time when a shortage of materials and high labour costs are already driving up bills.
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Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders, says the measures will require new materials, testing methods, products and systems to be installed. “All this comes at an increased cost during a time when prices are already sky high. Inevitably, consumers will have to pay more,” he says.
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Gareth Belsham, of surveyors Naismiths, says people who are upgrading, or extending their home, will be directly affected. “The biggest changes relate to heating and insulation,” he explains. “There are new rules concerning the amount of glazing used in extensions, and any new windows or doors must be highly insulated.”
Windows and doors will have to adhere to higher standards, while there are new limits on the amount of glazing you can have to reduce unwanted heat from the sun.
Thomas Goodman, of MyJobQuote, says this will bring in new restrictions for extensions. “Glazing on windows, doors and roof lights must cover no more than 25% of the floor area to prevent heat loss,” he says.
As the rules came into effect last Wednesday, property developers were rushing to file plans just before the deadline. Any plans submitted before that date are considered to be under the previous rules, and can go ahead as long as work starts before 15 June next year.
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Builders which have costed projects, but have not filed the paperwork, may need to go back and submit fresh estimates, says Marcus Jefford of Build Aviator.
Materials prices are already up 25% in the last two years. How much overall prices will increase as a result of the rule changes is not clear. “Whilst admirable in their intentions, they will add to the cost of housebuilding at a time when many already feel that they are priced out of homeownership,” says Jonathan Rolande of the National Association of Property Buyers. “An average extension will probably see around £3,000 additional cost thanks to the new regs.”
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John Kelly, a construction lawyer at Freeths law firm, believes prices will eventually come down. But not in the immediate future. “As the marketplace adapts to the new requirements, and the technologies that support them, the scaling up of these technologies will eventually bring costs down, but in the short term, we will all have to pay the price of the necessary transition,” he says.
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However, the long-term effects of the changes will be more comfortable and energy-efficient homes, adds Andrew Mellor, of PRP architects. “Homeowners will probably recoup that cost over time in energy bill savings. It will obviously be very volatile at the moment, but they will have that benefit over time.”
Questions & Options
41. Brian Berry
42. Gareth Belsham
43. Marcus Jefford
44. John Kelly
45. Andrew Mellor
全文翻译
旨在提高能源效率的新建筑法规将增加新房的价格，以及现有房屋扩建和阁楼改造的价格。这些规则于周三在英格兰生效，是政府到2050年将英国碳排放降至净零的计划的一部分。它们为通风、能源效率和供暖设定了新的标准，并规定新的住宅建筑必须有电动汽车充电桩。
这些举措是多年来建筑法规最重大的变化，行业专家表示，在材料短缺和高劳动力成本已经推高账单的情况下，它们将不可避免地导致更高的价格。建筑大师联合会首席执行官布赖恩·贝里说，这些措施将需要安装新的材料、测试方法、产品和系统。"在价格已经极高的时候，这一切都带来了增加的成本。不可避免地，消费者将不得不支付更多，"他说。
测量师事务所Naismiths的加雷斯·贝尔沙姆说，正在升级或扩建房屋的人将直接受到影响。"最大的变化涉及供暖和隔热，"他解释道。"有关于扩建中使用的玻璃面积的新规定，任何新窗户或门都必须是高度隔热的。"窗户和门将必须遵守更高的标准，同时对你可拥有的玻璃面积有了新的限制，以减少来自太阳的多余热量。
MyJobQuote的托马斯·古德曼说，这将给扩建带来新的限制。"窗户、门和天窗的玻璃面积不得超过地面面积的25%以防止热量损失，"他说。由于这些规则于上周三生效，房产开发商争相在截止日期前提交计划。在该日期之前提交的任何计划都被视为受先前规则的约束，只要在明年6月15日之前开工就可以进行。
Build Aviator的马库斯·杰福德说，已经估价但未提交文书工作的建筑商可能需要回去提交新的估价。过去两年材料价格已经上涨了25%。由于规则变更，总体价格将上涨多少尚不清楚。"虽然其意图令人钦佩，但它们在许多人已经觉得自己被高价排挤出房屋所有权的时候增加了住宅建设成本，"全国购房者协会的乔纳森·罗兰德说。"由于这些新规定，一个平均的扩建项目可能会增加约3,000英镑的额外成本。"
Freeths律师事务所的建筑律师约翰·凯利认为，价格最终会下降。但不是在眼前。"随着市场适应新的要求以及支持这些要求的技术，这些技术的规模化最终将降低成本，但在短期内，我们都将不得不为必要的转型付出代价，"他说。然而，PRP建筑事务所的安德鲁·梅勒补充说，这些变化的长期效果将是更舒适、更节能的住宅。"房主可能会随着时间的推移通过能源账单的节省收回这笔成本。目前显然会非常动荡，但随着时间的推移，他们将获得这个好处。"
答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)
41. Brian Berry 对应 [D] The new rules will take home prices to an even higher level.
【解析】定位第4段。Brian Berry 提到这些措施需要新材料和新系统，“All this comes at an increased cost during a time when prices are already sky high. Inevitably, consumers will have to pay more”（所有这些都带来了成本增加，而此时价格已经极高。消费者不可避免地将不得不支付更多）。这对应选项 [D]：“新规则将把房价推向更高的水平”。
42. Gareth Belsham 对应 [F] The new rules will affect people whose home extensions include new windows or doors.
【解析】定位第5段。Gareth Belsham 说那些正在升级或扩建房屋的人将直接受到影响，并特别指出：“...any new windows or doors must be highly insulated”（任何新的窗户或门都必须是高度隔热的）。这对应选项 [F]：“新规则将影响那些房屋扩建包括新窗户或新门的人”。
43. Marcus Jefford 对应 [B] Builders possibly need to submit new estimates of their projects.
【解析】定位第9段。Marcus Jefford 明确指出：“Builders which have costed projects... may need to go back and submit fresh estimates”（已经估价的建筑商……可能需要返回并提交新的估算）。“submit fresh estimates”直接同义替换为选项 [B] 中的“submit new estimates”。
44. John Kelly 对应 [A] The rise of home prices is a temporary matter.
【解析】定位第11段。John Kelly 认为价格“eventually come down”（最终会下降），并且强调我们只是“in the short term”（在短期内）需要为这种过渡付出代价。这说明房价上涨只是暂时的，对应选项 [A]：“房价的上涨是一个暂时的问题（temporary matter）”。
45. Andrew Mellor 对应 [G] The rule changes will benefit homeowners eventually.
【解析】定位最后一段。Andrew Mellor 指出长远来看房子会更舒适和节能，“Homeowners will probably recoup that cost over time... they will have that benefit over time”（房主随着时间的推移可能会收回成本……随着时间的推移他们将获得这种好处）。对应选项 [G]：“规则的改变最终将使房主受益”。
【干扰项排除】
[C] 提到了防止热量流失的具体限制（prevent heat loss），这是第7段 Thomas Goodman 说的话，但他不在左侧的人名列表中。
[E] 提到了许多人觉得房价已经超出了他们的承受能力（priced out of homeownership），这是第10段 Jonathan Rolande 说的话，他也不在列表中。