What is the Code for Sustainable Homes?

On 13 December 2006, the Code for Sustainable Homes was launched by Central Government - this is a new national standard for sustainable design and construction of new homes and is to be read in conjunction with Part L of Building Regulations to understand its full purpose and potential impact on home design and construction. The Code measures the sustainability of a new home against defined criteria which have been established to measure the sustainability of home design in totality. The Code uses a 6 star rating system to indicate sustainability of a home – the higher the star rating, the more sustainable the design is believed to be. The Code also sets minimum standards for energy and water use and, within England, replaces the EcoHomes scheme, developed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE). The Code for Sustainable Homes is the pre-cursor towards all new homes being designed and constructed as “zero carbon” by 2016. It is expected the Code will become mandatory in the near future.

Heat pumps produce less CO2 than any conventional boiler and are more energy efficient – they are therefore a significant feature for a truly sustainable home.