The government’s Code for Sustainable Homes is going live this week as the UK seeks to reduce its carbon emissions.

The code, which was first published on 13 December, sets out a means of measuring whether the government has met its target of making all new homes carbon-free by 2016.

In conjunction with the new regulations, the building industry is receiving technical guidance on how to meet the code requirements and on how a code assessment can be obtained.

Communities and local government minister Angela Smith said: "Homes account for more than a quarter of carbon emissions and it is vital that we act now to tackle climate change from as many fronts as possible.

"Building the right type of sustainable homes for future generations is one way in which we can help achieve a 60 per cent reduction in emissions by 2050.

"This guidance explains to the building industry, but also crucially to the public, how new homes can deliver real environmental improvements in key areas like water and energy use", she added.

Ways of cutting down on waste water and homeowner running costs will also be included in the guide.