All new homes built in England in the last five years have been required to meet the energy efficiency standards set out in Part L of the Building Regulations. The Part L standard for new homes was raised by 25 per cent. in 2002 and by a further 20 per cent. in 2006. This requirement will progressively increase leading up to the target for all new homes to be zero carbon from 2016. The following table shows the total number of new build dwellings in the north-west region for each year from 2004-05 onwards.
Number 2004-05 17,910 2005-06 20,620 2006-07 18,070 2007-08 20,310 2008-09 13,700
The Government's Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) provides an energy rating for new dwellings by demonstrating compliance with Part L of the Building Regulations. In general, homes built to current Part L correspond with SAP ratings of B or C. Some homes are built to exceed minimum regulatory standards, for example as a result of building to the Code for Sustainable Homes.