Update on Future Homes Standard

The update to the Future Homes Standard (FHS) was finalised in March this year, bringing significant changes to building regulations in England. The FHS aims to ensure all new homes are zero-carbon ready by March 2027. Key updates include:

• Effective ban on fossil fuel heating: New homes will not be allowed to use gas or oil boilers. Instead, heat pumps (air or ground source) or low-carbon heat networks are required.
• Mandatory solar PV panels: Renewable energy generation is now a functional requirement (L3). Most new homes must have solar panels installed, typically sized to 40% of the ground floor area.
• Significantly stricter airtightness and fabric standards: The notional airtightness target is increased to 3m³/(h·m²) @ 50Pa, requiring meticulous construction to prevent heat loss. High-performance insulation becomes standard.
• Mandatory mechanical ventilation: Due to the new airtightness requirements, decentralised mechanical extract ventilation (dMEV) or mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) is expected, with strict new commissioning requirements (using powered flow hoods, not rotating vanes).
• Transition to Home Energy Model (HEM): The current SAP methodology will be replaced by the HEM, a more detailed simulation that tracks energy usage every half-hour. SAP 10.3 will be used for an interim period while HEM is fully integrated.

Ed Lockhart, CEO of the Future Homes Hub, said: “The introduction of the Future Homes Standard is a transformational moment for the sector and for the residents of new homes. We know that some homebuilders have already started to build with the technologies and approaches that will be mandatory under the new standard. But it’s only by working together and sharing information that we’ll avoid the risks of the switchover and ensure new homes built to higher standards consistently perform better."