The Code for Sustainable Homes

The Code for Sustainable Homes is an environmental assessment rating method for new homes which assesses environmental performance in a two stage process (Design stage and Post-construction) using objective criteria and verification. The results of the Code assessment are recorded on a certificate assigned to the dwelling.

Download a pdf called 'Cracking the Code' here

For housing designers and developers it is a fairly technical assessment procedure which involves answering a lot of questions on many issues (see page 14 of the download). It is basically a points system leading up to a final score which then gives the Code rating that you may have heard of (3, 4 etc) Some categories have mandatory standards - for example the Dwelling Emission Rate (DER) which is a value based on kilograms of CO2 emitted by each square meter internal floor area per annum - where the building has to meet different standards for each Code Level, up to 'zero' carbon emissions for Level 6.

Energy Performance Certificates

Sustainability Code ratings are additional and complementary to the Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for house sales that came into effect from April 2008. They form part of the HIPs (Home Information Pack) that are now mandatory on new house sales.

EPCs cover energy performance whereas the Code covers nine areas of sustainability. The energy rating of a home that has achieved 4 stars (level 4) will have an energy performance equivalent to EPC band 'A'. A home which achieves 5 or 6 Code stars exceeds the maximum EPC rating.

The EPC rating has been designed to cover all homes - for example those built in the middle ages all the way up to the most modern energy efficient homes. As a result, the Code for Sustainable Homes only begins to register on the EPC scale at levels C and above.

Here is a downloadable spreadsheet that compares these 2 sets of standards with each other and with the current Building Regulations standards for energy efficiency in housing (referred to as 'Part L')