The UK homebuilding sector is accelerating preparations for the Future Homes Standard and low-energy housing delivery.
The UK new homes sector is strengthening collaboration to prepare for the forthcoming Future Homes Standard (FHS), a regulatory framework that will reshape how homes are designed, constructed, and heated. The Future Homes Hub has launched the Future Homes Standard Essentials campaign, urging developers, consultants, and supply chain partners to begin their transition towards compliance.
The campaign draws on practical experience from early adopters and pilot projects. It outlines seven essential actions designed to help housebuilders mitigate delivery risk while developing homes that are energy-efficient, zero-carbon ready, and compatible with the future energy system.
Future Homes Standard campaign
The Future Homes Standard Essentials campaign aims to provide clear guidance for organisations across the housing development ecosystem. Its recommendations focus on reducing uncertainty around technologies, construction processes, and operational performance.
The Future Homes Hub emphasises that collaboration across the supply chain will be central to achieving consistent outcomes in low-energy housing.
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.”
The organisation operates across the homebuilding supply chain and provides a central platform for collaboration between developers, manufacturers, consultants, and policymakers. Its objective is to support carbon reduction in the residential sector in line with the UK Government’s carbon budget commitments and growth plans.
A step change in low-carbon housing design and construction
The Future Homes Standard for new build homes represents a structural shift in residential construction. It will significantly reduce operational carbon emissions from new homes by requiring low-carbon heating technologies and improved building fabric performance.
One of the most notable changes is the transition away from fossil-fuel boilers towards low-carbon heating systems, particularly heat pumps. These systems operate at lower temperatures, meaning that building fabric, system design, and installation accuracy become critical to achieving expected energy performance.
Charlotte Lee, Chief Executive of HPA UK and Chair of the Future Homes Hub Heat Pump Development Group, explained the sector’s progress: “Following the introduction of the 2021 Part L Building Regulations, there has been clear progress in reducing gas grid connections, with around 25% of UK new-build completions in 2025 installing a heat pump, up from 15% in 2024. The forthcoming Future Homes Standard will go further, effectively prohibiting new homes from connecting to the gas grid and driving a significant increase in heat pump adoption.
“Heat pumps are a proven, scalable, low-carbon alternative to fossil fuel boilers. However, their successful deployment requires sector-specific skills, careful design, and informed use. The FHH Essentials provide a timely and welcome intervention, helping homebuilders to de-risk delivery, optimise performance and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction at scale by drawing on lessons learnt from early adopters and pilot projects.”
Supporting SME housebuilders
Small and medium-sized housebuilders are a central focus of the campaign. SMEs are expected to play a major role in delivering the UK Government’s target of 1.5 million new homes, making their readiness for the Future Homes Standard particularly important.
New guidance being released through the initiative covers several areas, including grid connections for low-carbon homes, heat pump heating design, procurement strategies, and the customer journey in low-energy housing.
Mark White, Chair of the Future Homes Hub SME Liaison Group and Managing Director of housebuilder Bargate, emphasised the importance of shared learning.
“What’s critical for us as a community of SMEs is to listen to the advice that’s out there and gather information from the experts – whether that’s organisations like the Future Homes Hub or from the suppliers and installers themselves.
“We’ve got to accept that this is a partnership. We’re all on the journey together – and the end result will be beautiful homes for our customers.”
Preparing early for Future Homes Standard compliance enables homebuilders to reduce delivery risks, develop sector capability, and deliver low-carbon homes that support the UK’s transition to a sustainable housing future.
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