An initial consultation was made on the proposal in July on whether to make it mandatory for new homes to be rated against the code for sustainable homes. This would mean that, once introduced, all homes would either have to be assessed against the code and given a certificate indicating the rating they had achieved, or would not be assessed and would be deemed to have achieved a zero rating against the code.
As a result of the policy, purchasers of new homes would be given clear information about the sustainability of their home and house builders would have a clear and consistent basis on which to compare and market their products.
The aim of the code is to improve the overall sustainability of new homes by setting a single national standard. Within this, the home building industry could construct homes to higher environmental standards, and new buyers would be given better information about the environmental impact of their new home and its potential running costs.
The rating is due to be added for all new homes built from April 2008. The Communities and Local Government said it would work with delivery partners to ensure that there were adequate numbers of assessors available across the public and private house building sectors; and in sufficient numbers across each region.
Laura Hogg, senior press officer at Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, commented: “Hopefully, if people start opting for the more energy efficient homes using the rating, builders will be encouraged to do more to improve the ratings of the properties they are developing.”
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