Energy Conservation Act 1996

1996 Chapter 38

An Act to make further provisions for energy conservation; and for related purposes.

[18th July 1996]

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1Amendment of Home Energy Conservation Act 1995

1

The [1995 c. 10.] Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 shall be amended in accordance with the provisions of subsection (2) below.

2

In section 1(1) the following paragraphs shall be added to the definition of the term “residential accommodation”, namely—

aa

a house in multiple occupation, that is—

i

in England and Wales, a house in multiple occupation as defined by section 345 of the Housing Act 1985,

ii

in Scotland, a house or building as referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of section 152(1) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, and

iii

in Northern Ireland, a house in multiple occupation as defined by Article 75 of the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1992, or

ab

a house-boat, that is, a boat or other floating decked structure—

i

designed or adapted for use solely as a place of permanent habitation, and

ii

not having means of, or capable of being readily adapted for, self-propulsion,

which, in the case of a house-boat in England and Wales or Northern Ireland, is a dwelling for the purposes of Part I of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, or as the case may be, the purposes of the Rates (Northern Ireland) Order 1977, or

2Citation and commencement

1

This Act may be cited as the Energy Conservation Act 1996.

2

This Act shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may, by order made by statutory instrument, appoint; and different days may be appointed for different purposes and different areas.

3

The Secretary of State may by order under subsection (2) make such transitional provision as appears to him to be appropriate.

He may, in particular, make such adaptations of sections 2 to 4 of the [1995 c. 10.] Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 as are necessary to enable an energy conservation authority to prepare a separate report under section 2 on houses in multiple occupation or house-boats.

4

In the application of this section to Northern Ireland—

a

references to the Secretary of State shall be construed as references to the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland;

b

the reference to an order made by statutory instrument shall be construed as a reference to an order which is a statutory rule for the purposes of the [S.I. 1979/1573 (N.I. 12).] Statutory Rules (Northern Ireland) Order 1979.