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EcoHomes was an environmental rating scheme for homes in the United Kingdom. It was the domestic version of theBuilding Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment MethodBREEAM, which could also be applied to a variety of non-residential buildings. It was replaced by theCode for Sustainable Homes in April 2008.[1]
EcoHomes Assessments fall under one of four versions, Pre-2002, 2003, 2005 or the final 2006 version. It was not possible to compare homes built under one revision of the standard with homes built under another.
In particular, the 2006 version of EcoHomes increased the standards for energy efficiency, following the 2006 revisions energy efficiency requirements of theBuilding Regulations. It also incorporated a number of other changes.[citation needed]
Under the scheme, credits were first given for standards reached in the following areas:
A weighting system is then used to designate the home asPass, Good, Very Good, or Excellent.[citation needed]
All homes funded by theHousing Corporation or byEnglish Partnerships were required to meet the 2006Very Good standard. Previously aGood designation sufficed. It was expected that this requirement would be replaced by compliance with the Government'sCode for Sustainable Homes.[citation needed]
EcoHomes was criticised by some for getting the balance wrong between the various elements, and for valuing lowembodied energy over the whole life performance of the building.[citation needed]
Early versions were criticised for allowing illogical trading-off between areas of the standards, so that, for example, homes with poor energy efficiency standards could still receive a high designation.[citation needed]
EcoHomes could also be used for major refurbishments such as conversion projects and change of use and was specified for these types of projects, in the interim, whilst the BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment scheme was being developed. Since the start of the Domestic Refurbishment scheme, EcoHomes for Refurbishment registrations ended on 1 July 2012 and for transitional purposes, officially expired on 1 July 2014. This applied to the whole of the UK, including Scotland.[citation needed]
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