Planning Energy Statements

Energy Statements for Planning

Get a quote

Applying for planning permission and been told you need an energy statement? An energy statement is a report submitted alongside your application to show how the development will meet your council’s energy efficiency and carbon reduction requirements. It sets out how you’ll cut energy demand, supply energy efficiently, and generate renewable energy on site.

Falcon Energy’s energy statement consultants prepare energy statements for residential and commercial developments across Sussex, Surrey, Kent, London and the wider South of England. Get a free quote or call us on 01403 253439 to discuss your project.

Get your energy statement

20+ years experience

Fast turnaround

Free, no obligation quotes

Serving the South of England

What is an Energy Statement?

An energy statement, sometimes called an energy strategy, is a technical report submitted with a planning application. It demonstrates how a development will meet the energy efficiency and carbon reduction policies set by the local planning authority, and it’s backed by SAP calculations for dwellings or SBEM calculations for commercial buildings.

Most authorities expect the statement to follow the energy hierarchy: be lean (reduce energy demand through fabric efficiency), be clean (supply energy efficiently, including any connection to a local heat network), and be green (add renewable or low-carbon technologies). The statement then compares the development’s predicted emissions against the relevant Part L baseline to show the carbon saving achieved.

Who needs an Energy Statement?

Most local authorities require an energy statement for major developments, and many require one for smaller residential schemes too, particularly in London boroughs and areas with their own low-carbon planning policies.

If your application includes new dwellings, a change of use, or a significant extension, check your council’s validation checklist. Energy statements are usually listed there as a required supporting document, and an application can be held up or rejected as invalid without one.

Who prepares an Energy Statement?

Energy statements are normally prepared by an energy assessor or sustainability consultant rather than by your architect or planning agent, because the report has to be backed by SAP or SBEM calculations and a working knowledge of building regulations and local planning policy. Falcon Energy’s assessors carry out the calculations and write the statement together, so there’s no need to brief separate specialists for each part.

Working with Falcon Energy on your Energy Statement

We’ve been carrying out energy assessment and compliance work since 2006, and we write energy statements the way planning officers want to read them: the policy requirement stated, the calculations behind it, and a clear route to meeting the target.

Every statement is prepared for the specific site rather than adapted from a template, and where there’s more than one way to hit the carbon target we’ll set out the most cost-effective option for your build.

energy statements

Our Energy Statement process:

  • Explain: once you have the statement, a member of the team will talk you through it and any next steps.
  • Review: we go through your development plans and identify which policy requirements apply to your site, whether that’s a borough-specific carbon target, national planning policy, or both.
  • Calculate: we carry out the SAP or SBEM calculations and model the energy and carbon savings.
  • Report: we write up the statement in the format your local planning authority expects, ready to submit with your application.

What your Energy Statement will include:

  • Baseline energy calculations and maximum permissible CO2 emission calculations
  • Predicted energy calculations for the development, set against the relevant baseline
  • Proposals for improved fabric thermal efficiency
  • Proposals for improved heating, hot water, ventilation and lighting efficiency, beyond standard regulations
  • A site-specific feasibility study into renewable and low-carbon technologies
  • How the proposed development will meet local energy policies and plans
  • A review of the location of any local heat networks

Where the local authority asks for it, we can also cover wider sustainability items such as water efficiency calculations (see Part G water calculations) and sustainable urban drainage proposals.

Energy Statements across Sussex, Surrey and Kent

We carry out energy statements for developments across Sussex, Surrey, Kent, London and the wider South of England. We keep track of local planning authorities and their own set carbon emission reduction targets alongside national policy, so your statement reflects exactly what your specific council expects.

If you’re planning a development in the South, get in touch to check what your local authority will require.

Frequently Asked Questions

An energy statement, also referred to as an energy strategy, is a document submitted with a planning application that shows how a development will meet the council’s energy efficiency standards and carbon reduction policies. It usually includes SAP or SBEM calculations, details of the energy hierarchy followed (reducing demand, then enhancing energy efficiency, then adding renewables), and the carbon savings achieved against the relevant baseline.

An energy statement deals specifically with energy demand, energy efficiency and carbon emissions. A sustainability statement is broader and can cover water use, drainage, materials, biodiversity, transport and waste. Some councils ask for both, and some ask for a combined energy and sustainability statement. Check your council’s validation checklist, or send us your application details and we’ll confirm what’s needed.

Yes. An energy statement needs to be backed by accredited calculations and a current understanding of national and local planning policy, so it’s normally prepared by an energy assessor or consultant rather than an architect or planning agent. Falcon Energy’s consultants handle the calculations and the write-up together, so you don’t need to brief separate specialists.

If your development is in Greater London, your energy statement also needs to address the London Plan, the Mayor of London’s strategic planning framework. Under Policy SI2, major developments must achieve a minimum on-site carbon reduction of 35%, currently calculated against the 2021 edition of Part L of the Building Regulations (this baseline moved on from the 2013 edition in January 2023), with any shortfall met through a carbon offset payment to the borough. This must be evidenced by SAP Calculations or SBEM Calculations. Depending on the plans, it may also require minimum performance against the Code for Sustainable Homes or BREEAM.

Requirements can vary by borough and by development type, so we’d recommend checking your specific policy requirements with us directly.

Costs vary depending on the size and type of development and the calculations required, whether that’s SAP, SBEM, or both. Send us your plans and we’ll provide a free, fixed-price quote.

Contact us today

Ready to get started, or have a question about your project? Give us a call today on 01403 253439 or email info@falconenergy.co.uk.

Get in touch