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Code for Sustainable Homes


What is the Code for Sustainable Homes?
The Code for Sustainable Homes has been introduced to drive a change in sustainable home building practice. It is a standard for key elements of design and construction, which affect the sustainability of a new home. It will become the single national standard for sustainable homes, used by home designers and builders as a guide to development, and by homebuyers to assist in their choice of home.

It will also form the basis for future developments of the Building Regulations in relation to carbon emissions from, and energy use in homes.

All new homes will now be required to have mandatory ratings against the Code; level 1 for a basic improvement on Building Regulations, up to level 6 for an exemplar home in sustainability terms. This means that while it remains voluntary to design and build a home to meet standards set out in the Code, regulations will mean that those selling new homes will be required to provide information to any prospective purchaser on the sustainability of the home.

The Code measures the sustainability of a home against design categories, rating the ‘whole home’ as a complete package.

The design categories included within the Code are:
● energy/CO2 emissions
● water
● materials
● surface water run-off
● waste
● pollution
● health and well-being
● management
● ecology

The Code uses a sustainability rating system – indicated by different levels, to communicate the overall sustainability performance of a home. A home can achieve a sustainability rating from Level One to Six depending on the extent to which it has achieved Code standards. Level One is the entry level – above the level of the Building Regulations; and Level Six is the highest level – reflecting exemplar development in sustainability terms.


How does it work?

We offer a Code for sustainable Homes Assessment service. We complete one assessment at Design Stage and a further assessment at Post Construction; both are necessary in order to achieve a Code Certificate issued by BRE.

The Design Stage assessment involves detailed checking of design stage specifications, we will need SAP figures* for the development, as well as detailed drawings and specifications.
In some developments, and depending on which credits you wish to gain, it may be necessary to provide Daylight calculations, a Flood Risk Assessment and/or an Ecologists Report of the site. If you want to use Low or Zero Carbon Technologies a feasibility study may be needed to prove their suitability. At each stage we will guide you in understanding exactly what you need to provide in order to be assessed to achieve the Code level you require. The design stage assessment process will be completed prior to submitting a planning application.

It is important that the 5 mandatory standards in CO2 emissions,Potable water consumption,Embodied impacts of construction materials, Surface water run off, Household waste and storage space & facilities and Construction site waste management are achieved first before any other credits can be awarded.If aiming for a code level six then Lifetimes Homes standards are also mandatory.

At Post Construction we will return to the development to assess the as built specifications in comparison to the design stage and make any adjustments to credits achieved where necessary in order to attain a final Code rating.
* We are also SAP assessors and will be able to provide your SAP calcs for you, please see our SAP page for more details.

How long will it take?
The whole process will take from agreement in the detailed design stages until enough post construction is completed in order that all Specification Id’s can be checked and verified.

How much does it cost?
Each development is different from the next, our pricing system is very transparent, there are no hidden extras, so you know what you are paying for.Please call or email for details, prices start from as little as £100 per dwelling.

Have some more questions? see the Questions and Answers download:
Click here to download this file
To see how the Code levels compare to EPC ratings, download here:
Click here to download this file

Please contact us to discuss your project:
01225 862266/0791 215 9195 or email mike@energy-saving-expert.co.uk