Why Choose Energy Efficient Lodges? A Simple Explanation

When it comes to making lodges more energy-efficient, it can quickly become confusing when you start to hear new terms and meanings that all sound a bit like gobbledygook!

For most, seeking energy efficient lodges ultimately means saving money from the methods and energy-saving equipment that has been used inside your lodge to make it energy efficient, but how energy efficient should your lodge be? And is it enough to actually save you the money being claimed?

In this article, we’re going to break down in simple terms what an energy efficient lodge is and how you come to the conclusion that the lodge is in fact energy efficient enough to save you £1000s in energy bills every year! We’ll break it down right from the beginning of what an EPC is, what tests are typically done in the housing industry, what is passivhaus standard (the standard we use at THC Lodges) and why some methods such as SAP testing isn’t as useful as its made out to be.

So, if you’re ready for a deep dive into understanding energy efficiency (which may also be a useful read for homeowners too!) here's a breakdown to help you understand what they mean and why they matter: Let’s start at the very beginning, to understand why our lodges are energy efficient, we first must understand what metrics are being used to conclude if a dwelling is energy efficient or not, and it all begins with an EPC.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)

Hopefully you haven’t been hiding under a rock to know that an EPC rating is a score that shows how energy-efficient your home is, similar to how appliances have energy labels. It gives your home a rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient).

Why it matters: This rating helps you understand how much it might cost to heat and power your home. Homes with better ratings are usually cheaper to run and better for the environment.

Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP)

SAP is a method used to calculate the energy rating of a traditional bricks and mortar home. It looks at how much energy your home will use for heating, lighting, and hot water.

Why it matters: The SAP test calculation confirms if your home meets building regulations to ensure your home is energy efficient rather than mere assumptions that might not perfectly predict your actual energy costs. It is designed for transparency so you can see exactly what you are buying whether the result is an A(most efficient) to G (least efficient). So what about your lodges? Hold on, I promise we will get there. We’ve confirmed that your EPC is a result of your SAP test which provides your result in the form of a score (A-G). But is there a more rigorous standard for ultimate energy efficiency?

Introducing Passivhaus (or Passive House) Standards

Passivhaus standards originated in Germany in the late 1980s. The concept was to create a voluntary standard for energy efficiency in buildings that would significantly reduce energy consumption while maintaining high levels of comfort. The term "Passivhaus" translates to "passive house" in English, emphasising the approach of relying on passive measures such as insulation, airtightness, and heat recovery to minimise the need for active heating and cooling systems. Since its inception, Passivhaus standards have gained international recognition and have been adapted to various climates and building types worldwide.

Why it matters: Homes built to these standards require very little energy to heat or cool, saving money in the long run and significantly reducing carbon emissions. This makes them super eco-friendly! Now that is VERY impressive and the VERY reason why we follow Passivhaus principles when constructing our lodges, but more on this later.

Next up, we’re talking about lodges as a whole.

The industry follows a different set of metrics called BS3632:2015 (with guidelines to follow Bs3632:2023 from September 2024).

BS 3632:2015 for Lodge Manufacturing

This British Standard specifies the requirements for the design, construction, and performance of residential park homes and lodges, also known as mobile homes or static caravans, are prefabricated dwellings designed for permanent or semi-permanent living accommodation. This standard includes structural integrity, thermal insulation, ventilation, fire safety, and durability unlike EPC ratings that have a sole focus on energy efficiency.

Due to this, it is hard to determine if your lodge is energy efficient based on this credential alone which is why many manufacturers follow an EERS Energy Efficiency Rating Calculator for park and caravan holiday homes which is the NCC National Caravan Councils standard test.

EERS Energy Efficiency Rating Calculator

This test works by calculating the airtightness, number of habitable rooms, building heat loss (what heat is being lost through walls, windows and doors) as well as the heating appliances used inside the home which will generate a score between 0 to possibly 500 (it’s not clear on what the highest is). The score allows you to use this number to calculate the costs of running the lodge. The number you see scored is the estimated amount of kilo watt hours (kwh) the home will consume over the year per square metre.

Example please, certainly!

To start, you take the score (let’s say it’s 243 and a model sized 45ft x 20ft ).

You’ll first need to work out the sqm, by taking the size of the model (usually shown in ft) and convert it to m2.

For example the example model is 45ft by 20ft so 45 x 20 = 900 (900sqft)

To convert the sqft to m2, you can use Google. The 900sqft model is = 86.6m2

Next, you can multiply 243 by 86.6m2 to get the amount of kwh this model uses.

The answer: 21,043 kwh

The next step is to multiply this by your current electricity rate. If you don’t know this, the average is 29p (0.29). The predicted cost to run this lodge for a year is £6,102

Let’s compare this to another example model (let’s say it’s 125 and a model sized 45ft x 20ft ).

It’s the same size as the other model which totals 86.6m2. If we multiply that by its score of 125, we get 10,825 kwh. If we multiply this answer by 0.29 (29p electricity rate), this model has a predicted cost of £3,139 to run this lodge for a year. Almost 50% less!

So, what is a good score for an energy efficient lodge?

Good question! Well, as you can see from the example above, the lower the number, the less the lodge will cost you to run. For monetary savings and not just the buzz words of being energy efficient, we would recommend seeking a lodge with a score under 100. However, with the average score being 220-250 in the lodge world, there are very few that meet this score which means you may have to dig to find a lodge that will save you both money and be comfortable all year round.

What is our score with NCC? We are currently completing our test with the NCC. In the meantime, we have completed our score following Passivhaus regulations, a standard more rigorous than the NCC approval score which equated to a score 17 which equalled an NCC score of around 29-31, something that we are currently confirming with them.

To review: to understand what you are buying, especially whether you are buying buzzword ‘energy efficient lodges’ or true energy efficient lodges that will save you a fortune each and every year! We covered the basic methods followed by lodge methods standards in the hope that this will give you a deeper understanding of what to look for when seeking a lodge for life.

How can you make a more informed choice?

Be in the know: Understanding these ratings and standards can help you make better choices when buying lodges For rental holiday parks, seeking true energy efficient lodges will save you a fortune over the years so be sure to check out the scores to understand the lodges consumption!

Advocate for change: Knowing that a lodge can call itself ‘eco’ or ‘energy efficient’ just because they’ve stuck a few panels on the top does not mean it will save you any money in the long run. Checking their NCC score and calculating the energy costs is the only real way to understand your running costs.

That’s it from us at THC Lodge, we hope to have provided yet another informative article about energy efficiency and why we simply love doing what we do!

If you have any questions about our energy ratings, please feel free to get in touch with a member of our team as we’d be happy to answer all of your questions. If you’re seeking modern day true energy efficient lodging then be sure to request a brochure from our support team by emailing info@thetinyhousing.co