07/10/2025
Government responds to Home Energy Model consultation – what next?
Written By: enevo
Estimated Time: 3 mins
Building Compliance
The Government’s recent publication of its response to the Home Energy Model (HEM) consultation marks a major shift in the UK’s approach to energy performance assessment. As a specialist in compliance, thermal modelling, building physics and regulatory services, enevo is well placed to help you navigate this transition.
Here’s what the changes mean – and how enevo is ready to support your next steps.
What is changing – and why you should care
- Moving beyond SAP HEM is positioned to replace (or run in parallel with) the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), introducing more advanced, dynamic modelling that better reflects real usage patterns.
- Greater detail, smarter assumptions The model will operate at half-hourly intervals, incorporate low-carbon technologies (e.g. energy storage, smart controls), and reflect real behaviour more accurately.
- Cloud and open source HEM will be delivered as a cloud-based service (Energy Calculation as a Service, ECaaS), and its core engine will be open source – which should foster transparency, flexibility, and industry collaboration.
- Phased implementation Initial versions will roll out in 2025, running in parallel with SAP during a transitional period. This gives the sector time to adapt, test, and refine.
These changes are designed to deliver more reliable modelling, improved alignment with net zero goals, and better decision-making in building design and retrofit.
What this means for developers, assessors & project teams
- The shift to HEM may require updates to your workflows, software tools, and data inputs (e.g. smart controls, energy storage sizing, behavioural assumptions).
- Early engagement in draft/consultation versions will be valuable – feedback from practitioners will help shape the final methodology.
- Projects already in design or under construction should assess whether their assumptions or interventions remain robust under the new model.
- Thermal modelling, dynamic simulation, and performance risk analysis will become more important to de-risk outcomes under HEM.
How enevo can help you transition smoothly
At enevo, our core mission is ensuring your projects remain compliant, efficient, and forward-looking. Here’s how we’ll help:
| Our Capability | How It Helps You |
| Thermal & Dynamic Simulation Modelling | Using room-by-room, year-long simulation, we can test your design under HEM-style detail and help you optimise for energy and comfort. |
| Energy & Building Compliance Services | We already deliver SAP/SBEM, BREEAM, Part L compliance, and environmental permitting – we’ll adapt our services to HEM requirements. |
| Advice & Technical Support | We’ll guide you on impacts to design, performance trade-offs, and how to future-proof your projects. |
| Early adopter readiness | We’ll monitor and analyse draft HEM versions, test your projects against them, and feed industry learnings back to you. |
In short, whether you’re in design, retrofit, or regulatory compliance stages, enevo is ready to support your transition from SAP to HEM – making sure your projects stay compliant, efficient, and resilient.
If you’re curious how HEM might impact your project or want us to run a comparative analysis (SAP vs draft HEM) for your design, let’s talk. Reach out or get a quote – we’re already gearing up for the next generation of energy performance modelling.
