The Regulatory Policy Committee gave a red rating to the impact assessments produced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for the Future Homes and Buildings Standards on 16 February 20261. The opinion was published on 25 March 20261.
A red rating means the committee judged the assessments not fit for purpose. The RPC said the rating followed its scrutiny of the evidence and analysis supporting the case for why regulation is necessary1. It stated that its opinion refers to the evidence and analysis presented in the impact assessment, not the policy itself1.
"This means that we considered the impact assessments to be 'not fit for purpose' based on our scrutiny of the evidence and analysis supporting the case for why regulation is necessary."
The standards are intended to improve the energy efficiency of new homes and non-domestic buildings and to reduce their carbon emissions, so that they are zero carbon ready1. They are to be implemented through the Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 20261. The RPC published separate opinions covering the Future Homes Standard impact assessment, a 12-page document, and the Future Buildings Standard impact assessment, a 13-page document1.
The RPC opinion concerns England: the implementing regulations are the Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 20261. Building standards are devolved, so the position in Scotland and Wales is set by different rules and is not covered by this opinion. The RPC has not published any assessment of the expected effect of the red rating on the timing of the standards, and no revised impact assessment has been reported.
Why it matters for households
The Future Homes and Buildings Standards set the energy performance that new homes in England will have to meet, which in turn shapes how much a new home costs to heat and how much of its energy a household can supply or manage itself. The RPC's rating does not change the standards or withdraw them. It is a judgement on the evidence and analysis behind them, not on the policy1. For a household buying or commissioning a new home, the practical effect is uncertainty about the timetable and about how the costs and benefits of the standards have been assessed. The RPC has not said the standards will be delayed, and no revised assessment has been published.
What happens next
The RPC opinion was published on 25 March 2026, after the rating was given on 16 February 20261. The government has not said whether it will revise the impact assessments, and no date for any revised assessment or for the coming into force of the Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2026 has been reported.