SAP Explained

What does SAP mean?

Created in 1995, SAP is the Standard Assessment Procedure that the UK and Scottish government’s recommended process for measuring the energy rating, and providing an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), for residential homes. There has since been updated versions, in 1998, 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2012. A further updated version, SAP10.2, was released in June 2022.

What are the SAP10.2 changes

There has been much progress in electricity generation since the last SAP update in 2012, notably in using cleaner methods to generate electricity. Wind and solar farms are now much more prominent and are now major contributors to electricity generation, meaning the average CO2 factor from the UK’s electricity grid has been halved in the last six years.

Current lifestyles mean we are spending more time out with the home and therefore using less energy to heat them. App and WiFi controlled systems are commonplace as people choose to remotely manage their heating and energy use for their convenience.

The changes that have been made in SAP10 relating to the electricity CO2 emissions are significant. The changes will see a reduction from 519g CO2/kWh to 233g CO2/kWh, only slightly higher than mains gas, which is 210g. Under the current SAP2012 stipulations, it is assumed that any electricity used within the home produces 2.4 times as much CO2 emissions as mains gas. The reason for this is that it measures against an outdated carbon factor which is not a true reflection of the energy mix of the UK grid.

Additionally, developments with District heating systems will mean a huge drop in SAP performance as a holistic approach is taken. At present, heat loss District Heat Networks (DHN) are assumed from 5-20%, whilst under SAP10.2 it will be assumed as 50% heat losses provided there is no evidence to prove otherwise.

Throughout the UK, there are over 4million dwellings that have no access to mains gas and just over 2million dwellings rely on electric heating systems. As electric generation becomes cleaner and greener via increased use of renewable sources, electric heating systems will see themselves become the cleanest heating source and will play a huge role in the drive towards Net-Zero. This, coupled with the fact that gas boilers on new build developments are outlawed as of 2025, means that electric heating systems have a real promising future in the UK and are worth considering across all projects.

Should you wish to talk to us about any of our Electric Heating products, please call us on 01698 820533 or email info@electric-heatingcompany.co.uk.