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As of the end of March 2023, there were 1.29 million households on the waiting list for social housing, with the shortage of affordable housing in the UK becoming increasingly severe. This growing demand places immense pressure on local authorities and housing providers to construct high-quality, sustainable homes at a much faster pace.
Coupled with the pace of delivery is the Government’s commitment to address the net-zero challenge via the phased approach of the Future Homes Standard (FHS), which will become mandatory for all new homes in 2025. This blog will provide a summary of the FHS, its key goals, and how it impacts the way you build homes.
What is the Future Homes Standard?
The FHS was introduced as part of the Government’s consultation on updates to Part L of the Building Regulations. This consultation explored significant changes to the energy efficiency standards for new homes, with a focus on ventilation, airtightness, and improving ‘as-built’ performance to ensure homes operate efficiently in practice.
Under the FHS, new homes are required to produce 75% - 80% fewer carbon emissions than those built under the Building Regulations Part L of 2013. There have been incremental improvements to Part L since 2013, but the FHS will be a significant step towards the path to net zero. This will be achieved by replacing conventional technologies with low-carbon alternatives, improving insulation, and minimising heat loss. Key areas of focus include heating systems, hot water provision, and overall energy efficiency improvements to future-proof housing stock against climate change.
When will the Future Homes Standard be introduced?
The FHS applies to all new homes built in England and is expected to come into effect from June 2025. This means that everyone involved in the planning, design, and construction of new homes, from architects and developers to builders and local authorities, must understand and integrate these standards into their day-to-day practices to ensure compliance.
The goals of the Future Homes Standard
The primary objective of the FHS is to improve energy efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of housing by ensuring new homes use low carbon technology. Currently, homes account for around 20% of the UK’s total carbon emissions, making it essential to improve housing efficiency if the country is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
The FHS aims to promote sustainability in every aspect of homebuilding, from construction materials to heating solutions, ensuring that future homes are built with long-term environmental and economic benefits in mind. The wellbeing of occupants is equally important under FHS whereby indoor air quality includes appropriate ventilation that is compatible with required airtightness under the new standards.
Does the Future Homes Standard affect existing properties?
The FHS only applies to new buildings constructed after June 2025. Existing homes will not be directly affected by the new standard; however, they remain subject to retrofit and energy efficiency improvement requirements under the UK’s zero-carbon commitments. This means that whilst current homeowners will not be required to upgrade to FHS standards, efforts to enhance the energy performance of older homes will continue through separate policies and initiatives.
To discover more about your retrofit responsibilities for existing homes, head over to our dedicated blog, ‘Understanding Retrofit: PAS 2035, Assessments, and Coordinators’, here.
What's next for the Future Homes Standard?
The FHS represents a significant step towards a greener, more sustainable housing sector, ensuring that new homes contribute to the UK’s long-term environmental goals whilst providing energy-efficient, cost-effective, and safer living spaces for residents.
In the lead up to the Government net zero target of 2050, it is envisaged that there will be further incremental improvements to the standards and the sector should embrace innovative approaches in readiness for the challenge.
If you need support understanding and implementing the Future Homes Standard into the development of your new builds, reach out to our team.
