You may stay here for a while or, when you are ready, move on to another space. If you stay here you might like to think some more about this ecological house.
John
Code for Sustainable Homes
The Code for Sustainable Homes (the Code) is the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes. The Code aims to reduce our carbon emissions and create homes that are more sustainable. It applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Code is not a set of regulations. The Code goes further than the current building regulations, but is entirely voluntary, and is intended to help promote even higher standards of sustainable design. The Code measures the sustainability of a new home against nine categories of sustainable design, rating the 'whole home' as a complete package. It covers energy/CO2, water, materials, surface water runoff (flooding and flood prevention), waste, pollution, health and well-being, management and ecology.
The Code uses a one to six star rating system to communicate the overall sustainability performance of a new home against these nine categories. The Code sets minimum standards for energy and water use at each level and, within England, replaces the EcoHomes scheme, developed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE).
The guide below, from The Department for Communities and Local Government, is Crown Copyright, reproduced under the terms of the Open Government Licence.
Download: Code for Sustainable Homes (1.3MB)
Find out more: Communities and Local Government website
Question to consider
- How does your house compare to the code?
Activity
- Pick one thing from the code that you could change to make your house more energy efficient or ecologically friendly