Housing Minister Grant Shapps recently re-affirmed his commitment for all new build homes to be zero-carbon from 2016. He also confirmed the work, carried out last year for the previous Government, in creating the 'Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard'.

Is the timescale realistic and what needs to happen to achieve this? Andrew Morphet of Synergy Property Services Ltd comments:

Whilst everyone’s interest has been focused on the election, a hugely important but inevitably, unreported piece of new legislation has been entered into the statute book – a revision to the Building Regulations: This will not be affected by any new Government that is formed.

Housing Minister John Healey recently announced a new Standard for the energy efficiency of zero carbon homes. The new Standard will cover energy demand for space heating and cooling.Synergy Property Services, with its extensive experience, is supporting and guiding efforts to design new, energy efficient homes.

The introduction of Commercial Energy Performance Certificates and Display Energy Certificates has seen incremental change in energy efficiency and CO2 reduction, but a fundamental change of mindset is required to hit the zero-carbon targets in place. All new homes and schools must be zero-carbon from 2016; all new public sector buildings from 2018.