Policy Initiatives - Eco Homes

EcoHomes is an assessment method that rates the environmental qualities of new and renovated dwellings, with environmental performance expressed on a scale of:

  • Pass
  • Good
  • Very Good
  • Excellent

The scheme rewards developers who improve the environmental performance of a development through good design, demonstrating:

  • Sustainability credentials to planning authorities
  • Green credentials to investors
  • Good environmental design to purchasers

EcoHomes is designed to help tackle climate change, resource use and impact on wildlife, balancing these issues against the need to provide safe and healthy homes and a high quality of life. Environmental impact development is reduced through focusing on the following areas:

  • Energy
  • Water
  • Pollution
  • Materials
  • Transport
  • Ecology and land use
  • Health and well-being

Assessments are carried out at the design stage in a similar way to a SAP rating, with each of the key areas attracting points for their sustainable credentials. Every house type on site is considered, but the award is given for the entire development, meaning developers can use the result to promote whole sites.

EcoHomes assessments are widely used in public funded developments and 'Very Good' ratings are normally required in order to attract public funding.

For more information on EcoHomes go to www.ecohomes.org.