Eight practical changes with direct relevance to London households, employers, landlords and construction businesses take effect on Thursday 1 October 2026. They range from the new Building Safety Levy and wider right-to-work rules to a £2.20 vaping duty, higher tobacco duty, a temporary VAT cut on domestic electricity and a higher Ofgem energy price cap.
But not everything being described online as an "October change" starts on the first day of the month. London Construction Magazine's review of the commencement dates found several important exceptions: new vaping and nicotine sales rules start on 29 October, employment harassment and trade union measures are scheduled for 30 October, planning committee reforms begin on 31 October, and the latest Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel charges already took effect on 21 September.
Canary Wharf and the surrounding London road network, photographed on September 2026 ahead of regulatory, employment, energy and construction changes taking effect in October. Photo: London Construction Magazine.
What Changes on 1 October 2026?
| Change | Who it affects | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Building Safety Levy | Residential developers | New levy regime starts in England |
| Right to work / right to rent | Employers, contractors, landlords | Updated checking regime and wider work arrangements |
| Digital waste tracking | Permitted waste receiving sites | Waste receipts must be reported digitally |
| Vaping Products Duty | Vape businesses and consumers | £2.20 duty per 10ml of vaping liquid |
| Tobacco duty | Smokers and tobacco businesses | New higher duty rates apply |
| Electricity VAT | Households in Great Britain | Domestic electricity VAT falls from 5% to 0% |
| Energy price cap | Default-tariff households | Typical annualised cap rises to £1,723 |
| Employment Tribunal limits | Employers and workers | Most claim limits increase from three to six months |
Building Safety Levy Starts Across England
The largest construction-specific change is the Building Safety Levy. The Government's Building Safety Levy guidance confirms that the regime comes into operation on 1 October and applies to qualifying building control applications and notices for residential development and purpose-built student accommodation.
The charging conditions apply to major residential developments creating at least 10 new dwellings, or at least 30 new PBSA bedspaces, subject to the detailed exemptions. Applications submitted before 1 October remain outside the levy, including later variations and commencement notices relating to those earlier original applications. A rejected application that has to be resubmitted after the deadline can, however, fall into the new regime.
The London effect is particularly large because rates are set by local authority. The standard rate reaches £100.35/m² in Kensington and Chelsea, compared with £50.17/m² for qualifying previously developed land. Greenwich's rates are £54.33/m² and £27.16/m² respectively. LCM's detailed Building Safety Levy London rates guide sets out the calculation, exemptions and borough differences.
Right-to-Work Rules Expand Beyond Conventional Employees
The Home Office's updated right-to-work framework also applies from 1 October. Its September employer guidance covers employment under conventional employment contracts, worker's contracts, individual subcontractor arrangements and certain online matching services.
That is particularly important for construction, where labour can pass through agencies, subcontractors and multi-tier supply chains. The regime does not mean that every company automatically becomes responsible for every person anywhere in its supply chain; liability depends on the working and contractual arrangements. Employers without a statutory excuse can face civil penalties of up to £60,000 per illegal worker. LCM has examined the 1 October right-to-work changes for construction subcontractors separately.
Landlords also have an October change. The Home Office's new Right to Rent code for England comes into force on 1 October for relevant tenancy agreements commencing from that date and for follow-up checks required from then onwards.
Digital Waste Tracking Begins for Receiving Sites
Construction businesses should be careful with claims that all waste paperwork becomes digital overnight. The first mandatory phase is narrower. From 1 October, permitted or licensed sites in England and Wales that receive controlled waste must report each load through the digital service.
According to DEFRA's digital waste tracking guidance, records normally have to be submitted within two working days. The first phase therefore directly affects waste transfer, treatment and other permitted receiving facilities serving construction projects; it does not mean every waste producer, carrier and broker enters the full system on 1 October.
Vaping Products Duty Adds £2.20 per 10ml
A new Vaping Products Duty starts across the UK on 1 October. HMRC confirms a flat duty of £2.20 per 10ml of vaping liquid, regardless of nicotine strength, covering qualifying nicotine and nicotine-free liquids. Duty stamps also become part of the regime. Retailers are allowed to continue selling qualifying unstamped stock they already held before the change until 31 March 2027, but new products released into the market from 1 October are subject to the new requirements.
Tobacco Duty Also Rises on 1 October
The vaping tax should not be confused with the separate tobacco duty increase. HMRC's published rates increase from 1 October across tobacco products. The cigarette rate becomes £394.09 per 1,000 cigarettes plus 16.5% of retail price, with HMRC estimating an additional £1.21 of duty on a typical packet of 20 cigarettes.
Electricity VAT Falls as the Energy Price Cap Rises
Two energy changes occur on the same day but move in opposite directions. A temporary zero rate of VAT on qualifying domestic electricity begins on 1 October and runs until 31 March 2027 across England, Scotland and Wales. The previous rate is 5%. Domestic gas and other qualifying fuels remain at 5%. At the same time, Ofgem's energy price cap rises by 4% for the period from 1 October to 31 December 2026. The headline figure is £1,723 a year for a typical direct-debit household in England, Scotland and Wales. That figure is an annualised illustration based on average unit rates and standing charges, not a maximum household bill; actual bills still depend on energy use.
Employment Tribunal Claim Limits Double to Six Months
For most Employment Tribunal claims, the standard time limit increases from three months to six months from 1 October. The Government's Employment Rights Act implementation timetable, updated on 25 September, confirms the change. The longer period matters to London employers because disputes can remain actionable for longer. It should not be treated as a retrospective six-month extension for every historic workplace event: transitional rules determine which claims move into the new timetable.
What Does Not Change on 1 October?
This is where much of the confusion around "new October rules" arises. Several real changes occur later in the month or have already happened.
| Measure | Actual date |
|---|---|
| Vape and nicotine age-of-sale changes and vending-machine restrictions | 29 October 2026 |
| Employment harassment and remaining trade-union measures | 30 October 2026 |
| National planning committee delegation rules | 31 October 2026 |
| Latest Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel charge increase | 21 September 2026 |
Department of Health and Social Care guidance confirms that the wider vaping and nicotine sales restrictions begin on 29 October, while the Government's latest employment timetable puts the strengthened harassment duties and remaining trade-union measures on 30 October. The new national planning committee delegation regime takes effect on 31 October.
For London motorists, the latest Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel tariff is also not a 1 October change. TfL introduced the revised prices on 21 September. LCM's Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel charge guide sets out the current rates and charging hours.
The 1 October Deadline Matters Most Before the Date Arrives
For most households, the changes will be applied automatically through energy tariffs, VAT or retail prices. Businesses have more preparation to do. Residential developers need to establish whether new building control applications fall within the levy regime; contractors and employers need to review right-to-work arrangements; permitted waste sites need digital reporting systems ready; and affected vaping businesses need the required HMRC approvals and duty-stamp processes.
The central lesson is that "October 2026" is not a commencement date. Each measure has its own legal or operational start. The dates in this guide were checked against current Government, regulator and Transport for London information on 26 September 2026 and should be rechecked where a transaction, application or compliance decision falls close to a statutory deadline.
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Expert Verification & Authorship: Mihai Chelmus Founder & Editor, London Construction Magazine | Construction Testing & Investigation Specialist |