Sustainable homes could save 300k tonnes in CO2

The Energy Saving Trust reveals that the Government could help save over 300k tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new homes in England by 2010 if it set additional energy standards.

The Energy Saving Trust reveal the Government could help save over 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new homes in England by 2010 if it set additional energy standards under its Code for Sustainable Homes.

Although the Code, now out for consultation until March 2006, includes energy efficiency as one of six components to rate the overall sustainability of a property, the minimum standard required is still only equal to the building regulations which are due to come into force at the same time as the voluntary Code in April 2006.

Now, the Energy Saving Trust is calling on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) to use the Energy Saving Trust's own energy efficiency standards for new housing developed under its long established best practice programme as the minimum requirement for energy efficiency within the Code's five star rating system.

The Government has made a commitment that all publicly-funded homes will comply with the Code from April 2006 which could save over 45,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2010 if the Energy Saving Trust's standards were used as the minimum requirement.

Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said: "Although the Code offers Government endorsement for more sustainable homes in the UK, there is no definition of specific energy performance standards and there is scope to 'trade off on some components at the expense of others".

""Our key concern though is that by setting the minimum energy efficiency standard at a level which will be required by law anyway, an opportunity is being missed for the Code to have real impact on the UK's CO2 emissions.

If all new homes planned in England over the next five years were to comply with the Code, using Energy Saving Trust standards as a minimum, over 300,000 tonnes of CO2 and over GBP30 million in fuel bills could be saved.

For further details on the Energy Saving Trust's energy efficiency standards for new housing please visit www.est.org.uk/housingbuildings, email bestpractice@est.org.uk or call 0870 120 7799.

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