The Future Homes Hub has announced the launch of a new campaign to help the homebuilding sector prepare for the implementation of new building standards
Based on real-world experience, the ‘Future Homes Standard Essentials’ set out seven critical actions to help homebuilders and their advisors to de-risk the delivery of more sustainable homes that are comfortable, healthy, low-energy, zero‑carbon ready and aligned with the future energy system.
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 Future Homes Hub works across the full home building supply chain and is the focal point for cross-sector collaboration to reduce carbon emissions in line with the Government’s carbon budget delivery and growth plans.
Spotlighting low-carbon technology like heat pumps
The Future Homes Standard represents a fundamental shift in how new homes are designed, built, commissioned and supported. Central to the FHS is the move away from fossil-fuel boilers to low carbon heating systems, often in the form of heat pumps where the lower temperatures require high levels of construction and heating system precision to deliver the required level of performance.
Charlotte Lee, chief executive of HPA UK and chair of the Future Homes Hub Heat Pump Development Group, commented:
“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.”
The SME community will be essential to achieving housing targets
Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) homebuilders are considered vital to achieving the UK government’s target of 1.5 million new homes and are a primary focus for the campaign, which is releasing new guidance on topics including grid connections and the customer journey through to heating design and procurement.
Chair of the Future Homes Hub’s SME Liaison Group and managing director of Hampshire-based housebuilder Bargate, Mark White, said:
“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.”
To find out more about the campaign and explore the Future Homes Standard Essentials, check out the Future Homes Hub’s YouTube channel.
Industry voices have welcomed the Futue Homes Standard campaign
Chris Carr, immediate past president of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB):
“The Future Homes Standard is one of the most significant changes small and medium‑sized house builders have faced in a generation. SME builders want to deliver high‑quality, low‑energy homes, but they need clear, practical guidance to do so with confidence. The ‘Future Homes Standard Essentials’ provides exactly the kind of clear, real‑world support SME builders need. By focusing on early learning, good design, build quality and the customer journey, this campaign helps builders manage risk, avoid costly mistakes, and build confidence as they transition to new technologies and ways of working.”
Jack Brayshaw, director of research and innovation for Vistry Group:
“The Future Homes Standard represents the most significant step change in energy efficiency regulation we have ever seen, and with it comes a real opportunity to improve the performance and long‑term resilience of the homes we build. What this campaign does so effectively is translate policy ambition into practical, evidence‑led guidance and action. By focusing on what works in the real world, and by sharing learning openly across the sector, we can reduce risk, accelerate innovation and support the delivery of low‑energy, low‑carbon homes at scale across the UK. Getting Future Homes Standard ready is fundamentally about building confidence — for the new‑build sector and its supply network— in new specifications, new technologies and new ways of working, so that the homes we deliver today are fit for the decades ahead.”
Amanda Williams, head of sustainability at CIOB:
“The new homes sector must deliver homes that are fit for the future, and I am optimistic the Future Homes Standard will provide the framework to ensure healthy, low energy, zero-carbon-ready becomes the industry standard. I welcome the campaign and new resources from the Future Homes Hub, which will ensure the industry is taking steps to be Future Homes Standard Ready.”
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