Insurance News Archive

'Green' rating for new homes

Plans to rate all new homes on their sustainability have been announced by the government as part of a bid to increase eco-friendly housing across the country.

The Code for Sustainable Homes, measures nine categories of sustainable design including energy, water and waste.

"We need to tackle climate change by improving how green and energy efficient our homes are. New build housing will play an important part in this," housing minister Caroline Flint said at the Eco Build 2008 conference.

The government is creating an important incentive for house builders to provide greener, more sustainable homes, she added.

Homes which exceed the sustainable standards in existing building regulations will be awarded up to six stars while those that have not been assessed against the code will score a nil-rating.

Chris Coates, managing director for Galliford Try Homes, commended the government efforts to improve energy efficiency but claimed "the renewable technology available is still playing catch up with the government's overly ambitious plans".

A spokesperson from the Department of Communities and Local Government said it is expected that there will be up to five eco-towns by 2016 and ten by 2020, reports the BBC.

28 Feb 2008