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As @Gus Potter says there are strict rules on this. Your wall has to stand up against a severe fire inside your building and the structure remain standing, all to stop fire spread to the neighbour. I expect the Bco will simply refuse you, and await a compliant proposal. This will be for a much more complex wall, clad inside as well as out, and with certified details. Also the steel usually needs fire protection. Your SE foundation design also needs to demonstrate that it won't overturn in a fire. Then post the proposals here and we can check they are practical and economical. I suggest you simply commission your Architect and/or SE to specify it now, to save you several weeks. Perhaps it was already their responsibility ( we don't know your contract terms).

Thanks Gus, We are going to submit everything to building control and see what happens, we’ll try and get away with 40mm insulated cladding, I’ll ask my architect to ask SE if we can beef up the bracing a little…

The best teachers are the ones that are remembered. Both of those are happening, just not at the right pace.

To quite frank, if your new build needs more than £7.5k you are being screwed over anyway. So really wouldn't worry or get bogged down with it. Really wouldn't bother with the grant anyway - and didn't. Heat pumps aren't expensive, and you can build a nice simple system not bogged down with MCS bells and whistles.

Hello. I had my BUS grant voucher issued in December last year so I think it is beyond the 6 months validity period so I think I might have to re-apply. I have yet to do any install of the ASHP and my property is off grid. No mains water, gas, sewage in this area. There is a BUS uplift to 9K coming in July. My heat pump installer says they don't think it applies to new self build properties but I want to check myself and I haven't been able to establish if it applies to me with my self build. Does anybody know or is it only where there is an oil boiler in existence that has to be removed to qualify for the uplift to 9K?

I never said I had a solution. Do you? If your solution is education, it would depend on who is doing the educating. It’s not exactly a well thought out solution. At the risk of going off topic, it’s a bit like people who just say ‘wealth tax’ when presented with the problem of the super rich getting richer and everyone else poorer. I think 99% of the population would be in favour of redistribution from those super rich to everyone else, trouble is they can just avoid it and any wealth tax ends up being counter productive. Maybe if every country could come together with a solution… but we’re back to climate change now - a utopian dream unless it can be done without a reduction in living standards.

I am about to tile onto Fermacell - quite large format limestone. Its not in a wet area - basically an alcove in the hall. Anything specific about tiling on Fermacell to know about that is different to using hardie cement board ? thanks

Hmm, no. The logic defies me here. There is no possible means of producing a proper objective measure in comparison. Instead I'd hope that Rasmus et al would be making more sensible decisions around the necessity and means of travel and thus reducing it as far as possible, not trying to justify it on the basis of 'I do more for the environment so it's okay for me' which just gets us into more trouble and bickering. To affect change in behaviour there needs to be systemic change, because the system absolutely rewards air travel financially as a start right now - just think of the cost of a short flight from the SE to Scotland for example versus the equivalent cost of taking the train. The economics right right are shear insanity. But there are also other systemic factors that blind people to the environmental cost of activities and decision - so this becomes a societal aspect, but then there is of course the individual responsibility about taking a stand and making a statement, which in itself may affect the societal and systemic. But who is actually making this kind of stand in such a way as to shift the curve? Our politicians aren't, nor are other leaders, nor are celebrities really doing this to a great extent... but there are lots of more quiet people just getting on and doing it - maybe they're the ones that will eventually provide the gravity necessary to shift things from the bottom up? Who knows, but the winds are blowing in a direction that rather depresses me right now - it feels like taking a positive environmental stand is the higher risk path, both personally and professionally versus embracing and continuing with the status quo.

So no solution then. Personally I think education is the answer.

I’m not suggesting either as I don’t think either will be workable. All I’m saying is any potential restrictions must be applied equally to everyone.

As in a milage allowance, or an emissions allowance?

The subject was air travel. Any potential restrictions should be the same for everyone. No exceptions, no exemptions, no ‘carbon credits’ that can be traded etc.

Expand on that?

Whatever it is should be applied equally. Those with money and power to follow the same rules as everyone else. If they don’t, it will fail, or have to be policed with authoritarian measures, which is also likely to be unsustainable.

What is your solution to reduce emissions and curb climate change then?

I buy Motorola phones, the battery life is excellent, and not one of them has cost more than £100. I charge them in the car with an adapter and lead from Poundland. Had to buy a new lead as the newer phone is USB C, so got one with 3 tails on it. C, micro and one for an iPhone. So can charge my phone, Kindle, camera and vape. Can also transfer data between devices. No idea if the Lightning plug works, don't allow those people into my car.

You sound like one of them. Rules for thee, but not for me. All for the greater good.

If Rasmus Errboe, the CEO of Ørsted flies a bit to promote thier business, there is an environmental gain. If Christopher Harborne, the CEO of Sherriff Global Group, flies a bit, there is an environmental loss. Both of those probably pale into rounding errors when just the UK holiday season starts. https://www.traveldailynews.com/statistics-trends/quot-great-british-holiday-audit-quot-reveals-how-brits-will-travel-in-2025/ Probably be similar this year.

Why recess the quartz at all? Search for long range / invisible wireless chargers:

Pop up plug with wireless charging maybe? I'm not personally a fan of pop up plugs, but neither do I like expensive phones easily sliding / being knocked off hard surfaces in a working space. I do like @Conor's charging drawer idea!

Correct, also you will need to show vents at eaves and ridge to ventilate this gap, in Scotland anyway.

Why? Required, or choose to?

@craig?

Indeed. Don’t ever change! If we couldn't bicker over these things the forum would be a whole lot duller .

Whatever, I'll keep doing what I do, as I said never had an issue.