The Future Homes Standard: What to Expect and WheN

The Future Homes Standard: What to Expect and WheN

The Future Homes Standard: What to Expect and WheN

In our recent article on the Warm Homes Plan, we explored how the government is funding upgrades to the UK’s existing housing stock — improving insulation, replacing boilers, and helping landlords meet EPC targets by 2030.

But what about new homes? That’s where the Future Homes Standard (FHS) comes in.

When Will the Future Homes Standard Come into Effect?

  • The government plans to publish the final regulations in autumn 2025.
  • Legislation is expected to be laid before Parliament in December 2025.
  • The regulations will come into effect in December 2026, with a 12-month transition period running until December 2027.
  • By 2028 onwards, all newly commenced homes will be required to comply fully with the FHS.

In short, while the Future Homes Standard is often referred to as a “2025 target,” in reality the first new homes built to the standard are likely to be on site from late 2026 onwards, with full adoption by 2028.

What Will It Include?

Although the final details won’t be confirmed until 2025, the key features are clear:

  • Carbon reduction: New homes will need to produce 75–80% lower carbon emissions compared to homes built to the 2013 regulations.
  • No gas boilers: New homes will not be permitted to install gas boilers. Instead, heating will need to be provided by air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, heat networks, or other low-carbon systems.
  • Fabric first: Homes must be built with high levels of insulation and airtightness, alongside efficient windows and doors, to reduce heat demand.
  • Futureproofing: The standard is designed to ensure that homes built from 2026/27 onwards will not need retrofitting later to meet the UK’s 2050 net zero commitments.

What About Water Consumption?

While the Future Homes Standard is focused primarily on reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency, there is increasing momentum to address water efficiency in parallel.

The Future Homes Hub, working with Defra and industry bodies, has published a “Water Ready” roadmap setting out how new homes could meet tighter water-use standards. Instead of the current theoretical approach, the proposal suggests a fittings-based system, where taps, showers, and toilets must each meet specified efficiency levels.

Emerging targets aim to reduce average water use to:

  • 105 litres per person per day (lpppd) in the near term, and
  • 90 lpppd by 2030.

Although water consumption isn’t yet formally part of the FHS, developers should expect updates to Part G of the Building Regulations in the future. This will align new homes not only with energy and carbon goals but also with the UK’s growing need to conserve water resources.

For developers, this means that planning new schemes today should also consider future requirements around water efficiency, ensuring homes are both energy and water resilient from the outset.

How Does It Differ From the Warm Homes Plan?

  • The Warm Homes Plan: Targets the existing housing stock, providing grants and funding to improve insulation, replace inefficient boilers, and upgrade rented properties to EPC Band C by 2030.
  • The Future Homes Standard: Applies to new housing, setting performance standards so that new homes are built right the first time, avoiding the need for future retrofits.

Together, these two initiatives are designed to tackle the UK’s housing challenges from both ends: upgrading what we already have while ensuring new homes meet the standards of the future.

Why This Matters for Landlords and Developers

  • Landlords: While the FHS won’t apply to existing rental stock, it shows the direction of government policy towards higher standards, more efficient homes, and tighter EPC requirements. Expect tenants and investors to increasingly demand homes that perform closer to FHS levels.
  • Developers: New housing schemes currently being designed need to anticipate these changes. Planning applications and specifications prepared now will likely be built under the Future Homes Standard.

This means that schemes being prepared for planning today must already consider the implications of the FHS, including:

  • Where to site air source heat pumps (ASHPs).
  • Provision for hot water storage, replacing the combi boiler approach.
  • Designing for MVHR systems to ensure indoor air quality.
  • Incorporating external solar shading to reduce overheating risks.
  • Allowing for thicker walls, roofs, and floors to meet higher insulation targets.
  • Integration of solar PV panels and battery storage to reduce reliance on the grid and future-proof homes against rising energy demand.

At BB Partnership, we are already delivering schemes that go beyond today’s standards. Our large-scale co-living, purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), and traditional residential projects all comply with the ambitious energy targets of the London Plan and the requirements of the respective London boroughs where they are located. This means our projects are already designed to meet, and in many cases exceed, the performance benchmarks that the Future Homes Standard will introduce nationally.

The Bottom Line

The Future Homes Standard will be the most significant change to Building Regulations in a generation. While the Warm Homes Plan addresses today’s existing stock, the FHS sets the rules for tomorrow’s homes.

At BB Partnership, we are already designing schemes that look beyond compliance, drawing on our Passive House expertise, understanding of AECB CarbonLite Standards, and proven track record of meeting London Plan energy targets to ensure developments are both futureproof and market-ready.

If you are a developer preparing a new scheme, talk to us about how to integrate Future Homes Standard principles from the outset.

Julian Williams

BA [Hons], Dip Arc, RIBA

Director

Susan Price

BA [Hons], Dip Arc, RIBA

Director

Manuela Barale

BA [Hons], Dip Arc, RIBA

Director

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