The Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) gave a red rating to the impact assessments produced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for the Future Homes and Buildings Standards, according to an opinion published on GOV.UK on 25 March 20261. The rating was issued on 16 February 20261.
The RPC states that a red rating means it considered the impact assessments to be "not fit for purpose" based on its scrutiny of the evidence and analysis supporting the case for why regulation is necessary1. The committee adds that its opinion refers to the evidence and analysis presented in the impact assessment, not the policy itself1.
The Future Homes and Buildings Standards are intended to improve the energy efficiency of new dwellings and non-domestic buildings and 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 two opinions: one on the Future Homes Standard impact assessment (PDF, 312 KB, 12 pages) and one on the Future Buildings Standard impact assessment (PDF, 289 KB, 13 pages)1.
The standards trace back to a consultation that ran from 10am on 13 November 2023 to 11:59pm on 27 March 2024, covering changes to Part 6, Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations for dwellings and non-domestic buildings, with a call for evidence on Part O2. The consultation applied to England2. Its closing date was extended by three weeks after an issue was found with the consultation version of the Home Energy Model software, which affected modelled solar PV yield where panels were not facing south2. The government response to the consultation was added to the consultation page on 24 March 2026, and states that outcomes will now be implemented through a statutory instrument and new approved documents2.
"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."
Why it matters for households
The Future Homes Standard sets the energy performance requirements that new homes in England will have to meet, so its timing and content shape what a newly built home costs to run and how much of its energy demand it can meet from low-carbon sources. The RPC's red rating concerns the evidence and analysis in the impact assessments, not the policy itself1, so it does not by itself change the standards. What it does mean is that the published justification for the costs and benefits of the Future Homes Standard has been judged inadequate by the body that scrutinises regulatory impact assessments. For households buying or commissioning a new home, the practical questions are which specification applies, when it applies from, and how compliance is demonstrated under the Building Regulations in England. None of that is settled by this opinion. The wider framework sits with DESNZ and MHCLG, and the devolved administrations set their own rules, covered in the guides to Scottish building standards, energy and buildings policy in Wales and building regulations in Northern Ireland.
What happens next
The RPC opinion was published on 25 March 20261. The government response to the 2023 consultation was added to the consultation page on 24 March 2026 and states that the outcomes will be implemented through a statutory instrument and new approved documents2. The Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2026 are named as the implementing instrument1. No date for the instrument coming into force, and no revised impact assessment, has been reported.