The government stated on 15 May 2024 that the Future Homes Standard would come into force in 2025 and that solar panels would be encouraged1. The commitment sits within the government's 2021 Heat and buildings strategy, which pledged to introduce the standard by 2025 so that "new-build homes are future-proofed with low-carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency"1.
The government consulted on the Future Homes Standard between 2019 and 2020, and on its technical proposals for meeting the standard from November 2023 to March 2024, including changes to building regulations1. In the 2023 to 2024 consultation it also sought views on whether to add solar panels to buildings. The government said solar panels could decrease the energy bills and emissions from new homes, but noted they had high upfront costs and may not be as important to reducing emissions once the electricity grid decarbonised1.
On the day of the statement, the government said:
"Our consultation proposals setting out the proposed technical detail of the standard demonstrated the effectiveness of rooftop solar in reducing energy bills for consumers with solar panels. For non-domestic buildings, the Future Buildings Standard consultation proposed significant amounts of rooftop solar which is also expected to drive the use of solar power on warehouses and commercial buildings."
Amendments to the building regulations and approved documents to introduce the Future Homes Standard were not made before the July 2024 General Election1. The Labour government said in July that it is keen to see more homes fitted with solar panels1. The standard applies in England, where all new housing must adhere to building regulations under the Building Act 1984 and the Building Regulations 20101. The statutory requirements in Schedule 1 to those regulations include conservation of fuel and power (Part L), overheating (Part O) and infrastructure for the charging of electric vehicles (Part S)1.
In 2022, emissions from residential buildings accounted for a fifth (20%) of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK1. The Climate Change Committee, the government's advisory body, said the UK will not meet its emissions targets "without near complete decarbonisation of the housing stock"1.
Why it matters for households
The standard sets the energy performance that new homes in England will have to meet, so it shapes what heating systems and levels of efficiency buyers can expect in a new build rather than what they can retrofit into an existing one. The government's own case for rooftop solar rests on lower energy bills for households that have panels, which points to a home generating some of its own electricity rather than drawing all of it from the grid. For existing households, the statement does not change any current obligation or grant. Planning permission is not normally needed for solar panels on domestic roofs, with some exceptions, as they are covered by permitted development rights1. Homes affected by nutrient neutrality rules, which require new developments in certain areas not to add further nutrient pollution to the water catchment, remain subject to those requirements1.
What happens next
The government stated the standard would come into force in 20251. Amendments to the building regulations and approved documents needed to introduce it were not made before the July 2024 General Election1. The Labour government said in July 2024 that it "will implement solutions to unlock the building of homes affected by nutrient neutrality without weakening environmental protections"1. No further date for laying the regulations has been reported.
Sources1 cited
- Environmental standards for new housing - House of Commons Library, commonslibrary.parliament.uk