Code for sustainable homes: case studies volume 2 - Gov.uk

Buyer/Occupant
Feedback
Of the 40 units completed on phase 1, 18
have been sold and the first residents moved
in recently. Stamford Homes sales manager,
Melanie Parker, said
‘The interest in Freshney Green
is amazing. We have a lot of young
people looking to get a foot on the
housing ladder and they are attracted
by the low cost of the homes and the
green measures in place, which will
make them very affordable to run.
Equally we have interest at the other
end of the spectrum from elderly
couples who see these homes as
long-term investments because as
they get older the houses can be
adapted to suit them.’
Some early feedback from the residents in
the first occupied properties has been received.
All have indicated that they are happy with the
performance of the new home, with one
resident commenting that the house was less
draughty than their former home. Another
customer said that they were impressed by the
‘home for life features’. At the time of visiting
the site none of the purchasers is yet to
receive bills and therefore was not able to
compare this aspect of performance with
that of a previous home.
LESSONS LEARNT
The main lessons learnt from the development
have been:
• Code Level 3 is achievable using traditional
masonry build with the inclusion of
additional insulation and other energy
saving technologies
• Achieving Code Level 4 or above requires
the inclusion of renewable energy
technologies such as photovoltaics
• Occupants must be given detailed
information on how to use the home
correctly (both at handover and through
a Home User Guide) in order to ensure
that the home operates to the same level
of performance as it was designed
• The inclusion of energy saving technologies
not only assists in achieving higher levels
of the Code but also helps tackle fuel
poverty issues
Further monitoring of the performance of
the homes is intended to be undertaken in
the future.
CASE STUDY 5 | CODE FOR SUSTAINABLE HOMES | 15