The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published its response to the Future Homes and Buildings Standards consultation, which was published in December 2023 and closed in March 20241. The consultation sought views on plans for a further update to the energy efficiency requirements for new homes and buildings1. A total of 2,421 responses were received, of which 2,413 were included in the final analysis after eight email submissions were excluded as they fell entirely outside the scope of the consultation1.
Alongside the response, regulations have been laid in Parliament to amend the Building Regulations 20101. The government intends that the Future Homes Standard will come into force on 24 March 2027 for non-higher-risk building work, followed by a 12-month transition period1. The amending regulations will come into force for higher-risk building work on 24 September 20271. To continue building any remaining dwellings to the 2010 standards, work must be started before 24 March 20281.
The government has decided to retain the existing metrics, the Target Emissions Rate, Target Primary Energy Rate and Fabric Energy Efficiency, for setting performance requirements1. It has also decided to introduce delivered energy as a voluntary reporting metric for new dwellings1. In May 2025, the government took the decision to make available for use with the Future Homes Standard an updated version of SAP, known as SAP 10.3, which will be approved for use as an alternative to the Home Energy Model1.
On ventilation, the maximum specific fan power for continuous dMEV systems has been raised to 3.5 W/l.s, and the minimum SEER for comfort cooling has been lowered to 4.61. The government has chosen to proceed with the proposal to fix operational and maintenance information to heat pumps, though 54.2% of respondents to Question 16 indicated that they do not believe the operating and maintenance information set out in the draft Approved Document is adequate1. The government has decided not to proceed with the proposed revision to guidance on sizing of hot water vessels for new dwellings1.
"We intend that the Future Homes and Buildings Standards will come into force on 24 March 2027, for non-higher-risk building (non-HRB) work followed by a 12-month transition period."
The Future Homes Hub, an independent body, noted at the time of the consultation that the government's Option 1 was broadly an existing 2021 notional home but with the boiler replaced with a heat pump, and that Option 2 was the same but without PV and without waste water heat recovery2. It stated that the government had not stated which option it preferred2. The Hub also noted that the Home Energy Model breaks the year into half-hourly chunks, rather than monthly under current SAP2.
The Stove Industry Association reported that, in response to a joint letter, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government stated on 2 April that under the standards proposed in the consultation, a wood burning stove would be permitted as a secondary heating source in new homes3.
Why it matters for households
The standards apply to new homes, not to existing dwellings, so the immediate effect is on what gets built rather than on the home a household already occupies. For a household buying a new build, the confirmed metrics and the move to the Home Energy Model shape how a home's energy performance is calculated and demonstrated at completion1. The decision to retain the existing metrics means the basis of compliance is unchanged from the 2021 approach, while the introduction of voluntary delivered energy reporting is intended to increase awareness of that metric1.
The confirmation that a wood burning stove would be permitted as a secondary heating source in new homes3 settles a question that had been the subject of speculation. The government has also decided not to permit relaxations or dispensations of Regulation 26, which sets CO2 emission rates for new buildings, at this stage1.
For a home's energy independence, the standards concern the fixed equipment and fabric installed at construction, including heat pumps and ventilation, rather than anything a household can alter afterwards. The government has said homes and buildings constructed to these standards will not require retrofitting to become zero carbon in use once the electricity grid is fully decarbonised1.
What happens next
The regulations and amended guidance will come into force on 24 March 2027, subject to transitional provisions1. The government has said it will publish a call for evidence and consider research on the energy performance gap and building performance evaluation1. It has also said it plans to undertake a further consultation on energy efficiency standards for dwellings created through a material change of use1. The government will continue to monitor smart meter installation outcomes for new builds and re-evaluate the approach if necessary1.
Sources3 cited
- The Future Homes and Buildings Standards: 2023 consultation response, assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
- The Future Homes Standard Consultation has landed, futurehomes.org.uk
- Government confirms that proposed Future Homes Standard will permit wood burning stoves - Stove Industry Association | SIA % %, stoveindustryassociation.org