Future Homes Standard: What It Means for New Builds From 2025

What the Future Homes Standard Requires

The Future Homes Standard (FHS) is the UK government's policy framework requiring new homes to be built to significantly higher energy efficiency and low-carbon standards than those required by previous editions of the Building Regulations. The standard was introduced in 2025 through updated Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power) and Part F (Ventilation) of the Building Regulations for England.

The headline target is an approximately 75–80% reduction in carbon emissions from new homes compared to those built under the 2013 Part L standards. This is achieved primarily through three interconnected requirements: the near-elimination of gas-fired heating systems, mandatory highly-insulated building fabric, and the requirement for low-carbon heating and hot water systems.

The Future Homes Standard is arguably the most significant change to how new homes are built in England since the introduction of double glazing and cavity wall insulation requirements. It fundamentally changes the energy systems in new homes, with implications for running costs, maintenance requirements, and the skills needed to service and repair the systems involved.

The End of Gas in New Builds

The most consequential change under the FHS is the effective end of gas boilers in new homes. New homes built to the Future Homes Standard are required to use low-carbon heating systems. In practice, this means:

**Air source heat pumps (ASHP)** are the dominant technology in most new build homes. An ASHP extracts heat energy from the outside air and concentrates it to heat water for space heating and domestic hot water. Modern ASHPs operate efficiently down to outside temperatures of -15°C and have Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCOP) values of 2.5–3.5 — meaning they produce 2.5 to 3.5 units of heat for every unit of electricity consumed. This makes them significantly more carbon-efficient than gas boilers, despite running on electricity.

**Ground source heat pumps (GSHP)** are used on some larger developments where space and soil conditions allow. They are more expensive to install but typically achieve higher efficiency than ASHPs (SCOP 3.5–4.5) and are unaffected by outside air temperature.

**District heating networks** (sometimes called heat networks or communal heating) serve some large developments, particularly in urban areas. A central plant (often a gas-powered combined heat and power unit, or increasingly an industrial heat pump) produces heat that is distributed to individual properties through insulated pipes. Individual properties have heat interface units (HIUs) rather than boilers.

**Infrared heating panels or electric storage heaters** are used on some smaller or rural developments where heat pump installation is impractical, though these are less common as a primary heating strategy.

Building Fabric: What Better Insulation Means

Alongside the heating system changes, the FHS requires substantially improved building fabric performance. Key changes from the 2013 standards include:

**Wall U-values.** The maximum permitted thermal transmittance (U-value) for external walls has been reduced significantly. New homes are typically built with 150mm+ of insulation in cavity walls or with full-fill cavity insulation, achieving U-values of 0.15–0.18 W/m²K, compared to 0.26–0.30 W/m²K under older standards.

**Roof insulation.** Loft insulation depths of 300–400mm are standard, achieving roof U-values of 0.10–0.13 W/m²K.

**Windows and doors.** Triple glazing is becoming standard on FHS homes, achieving window U-values of 0.8–1.0 W/m²K versus 1.4–1.6 W/m²K from double glazing.

**Airtightness.** FHS homes are built to significantly tighter airtightness targets than pre-2025 new builds. This reduces heat loss but requires mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) to maintain adequate indoor air quality. MVHR systems extract warm, stale air and use it to preheat incoming fresh air, recovering 70–90% of the heat that would otherwise be lost through ventilation.

Implications for New Build Buyers

As a buyer of a Future Homes Standard property, you should be aware of several practical implications:

**Running costs are different, not necessarily lower.** Heat pumps run on electricity, which costs more per kilowatt-hour than gas as of 2026, though electricity prices are expected to become more competitive relative to gas over time as the energy transition proceeds. The efficiency advantage of heat pumps (the SCOP of 2.5–3.5) partially offsets the higher per-unit cost of electricity, and well-insulated FHS homes require significantly less energy to heat in total. Model your running costs carefully against your current bills.

**Servicing requirements are different.** Heat pumps require annual servicing by engineers qualified to F-Gas regulations (for refrigerant handling) and competent in heat pump technology. The UK's heat pump service engineer workforce is growing but remains smaller than the gas heating engineer workforce. MVHR systems require filter changes every three to six months and annual servicing.

**EPC ratings will be high.** FHS homes will achieve A-rated EPCs as standard, which is a marketable asset when you come to sell. Store the EPC and the full SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) calculation in your Property Passport UK new build passport — future buyers will want to understand the specification.

**Smart meters and solar panels.** Many FHS homes include solar photovoltaic panels as standard, reducing electricity import costs and potentially generating export tariff income. Ensure you understand how to manage the system, what maintenance it requires, and how to access export tariff payments.