What
is a SAP rating?
The Standard
Assessment Procedure (SAP) is the Government's recommended system for
the home energy rating. The SAP
energy cost rating is based on energy costs for space and water heating
only. A SAP rating is required for all new build dwellings and those which
are undergoing significant material alteration (such as the addition of
an extension to the dwelling).
Housing Associations
and Councils which own stock are all required to submit average SAP figures
for their regions so that Government can monitor the amount of energy
used, and associated carbon emissions, from domestic dwellings in the
UK.
The current
version of SAP is 'SAP2001' (v9.70). It has a scale of 1 to 120. 1 being
very poor, 120 being excellent. A typical SAP for an average house in
England is about 45. A 'SAP2001' rating on a house built to current Part
L building regulations would be closer to 80-100 or more, SAP points.
What is a
NHER rating?
The NHER rating takes into account the local environment
and the affect it has on the building's energy rating. The NHER calculates
the costs of space and water heating as well as cooking, lights and appliances.
This is why the NHER is more accurate than the SAP.
The NHER can only be calculated using computer software as supplied by
National Energy Services (NES). It first emerged in 1983 at the Energy
World Exhibition in Milton Keynes, and later the Government used a simplified
version of this model which could be calculated by hand. This became known
as SAP.
The NHER was conceived as a rating with as scale of 0.0 to 10.0. 0.0 being
poor, 10.0 being excellent.
The The National Home Energy Rating is the UK's largest energy rating scheme. The NHER provides solutions to all aspects of home energy saving. The NHER scheme is unrivalled at delivering energy efficiency advice, tackling fuel poverty and developing local and regional improvement strategies.
The NHER scheme calculates energy ratings for existing, refurbished or new build stock; from on-site surveys or building plans; detailed or basic, or to suit your requirements.
Accredited under ISO 9002 to deliver quality-assured, Government approved SAP ratings, the NHER is the only organisation that licences others to process and deliver energy ratings. It operates as a professional institution by examining, registering and monitoring qualified assessors and surveyors to ensure that the SAP ratings delivered by assessors are of consistent quality.