Heating and powering buildings accounts for 30% of the UK’s total energy usage, making this an important sector to consider on the road to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The UK Government recognises that the homes constructed now and in the next decade will still be in use beyond 2050, and that prioritising energy efficiency and low carbon heating when these homes are built will be easier and cheaper than trying to retrofit improvements closer to the 2050 deadline.
The Future Homes Standard aims to address this by making sure all new homes built from 2025 onwards will produce 75-80% less carbon emissions than homes built under the current building regulations. This will be achieved in newbuild homes by improving heating and hot water systems and reducing heat waste, for example by replacing current heating technology with low-carbon alternatives.
What is the Future Homes Standard?
All new homes built in England from 2025 will need to comply with the Future Homes Standard. The standard has been in development since 2019 when the UK’s commitment to net zero by 2050 came into law, with various consultations on the proposed measures.
The first consultation was released in October 2019 focusing on Building Regulations Part L (conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (ventilation). This resulted in updated building regulations which came into force in June 2022, aiming to reduce carbon emissions by at least 31% compared to the previous regulations – a stepping stone to the planned implementation of the Future Homes Standard in 2025.
The latest consultation on the Future Homes Standard ran from 13 December 2023 to 27 March 2024 and outlined a range of potential measures which would result in the target 75-80% reduction in carbon emissions in new homes.
Two options were proposed in the consultation, with different specifications for the low carbon technologies which should be included in newbuilds. Both options broadly retained the standards outlined in Building Regulations Part L, using a heat pump or low carbon heat network to provide space and water heating. One option also includes the use of solar PV, wastewater heat recovery and decentralised mechanical ventilation – measures which will result in further carbon reductions, but will be more costly for developers to implement.
How low carbon technologies can help reach the Future Homes Standard
The results of the most recent Future Homes Standard consultation haven’t yet been published, but it is clear that low carbon technologies will be mandated to some extent.
Under the proposed standard, heating in newbuilds will be provided by either heat pumps or low carbon heat networks. Heat pumps take heat from the outside air or the ground and transfer this into the home to be used for space heating. Heat pumps generally produce around three times more energy than they take in, making them 300% efficient, compared to an A-rated gas boiler which has a typical efficiency of around 85%.
There are more than 200,000 heat pumps installed across the UK according to MCS Foundation, with the UK Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme contributing to a 25% increase in air source heat pump installations in 2023.
The other option for heating under the Future Homes Standard is connection to a low carbon heat network, where heat is supplied to homes and buildings from a central source. For apartments and smaller homes without the necessary outdoor space for an individual heat pump, a heat network is a good solution. 446,517 homes in the UK are currently connected to a heat network, however most existing heat networks use fossil fuels.
There are examples of successful low carbon heat networks though, particularly in social housing, which could be replicated as the Future Homes Standard is applied. One example is Thurrock Council’s tower blocks in Chadwell St Mary which are heated by networked ground source heat pumps, with a Thermino heat battery in each flat to provide hot water.
Solar PV is another low carbon technology which may become mandatory under the Future Homes Standard. Solar PV panels capture energy from the sun and convert this into electricity. This can lead to cheaper energy bills for the householder as they need to purchase less electricity from the grid, plus a typical home solar panel system can save around one tonne of carbon a year.
Although solar PV panels are already commonly installed in newbuild developments, their inclusion in the Future Homes Standard is up for debate. As the National Housing Federation explores, the pace at which the electricity grid is decarbonising means that the carbon savings from solar PV will reduce over time, particularly when compared to the savings from switching to a low carbon heating system.
Alongside low carbon technology, the Future Homes Standard also considers insulation and thermal efficiency. The standard advises using heavyweight construction materials to reduce temperature fluctuations, and focusing on airtightness and the prevention of overheating. Minimum standards are also proposed for thermal elements that prevent heat loss, such as doors and windows.
The importance of thermal storage in meeting the Future Homes Standard
Homes built to the Future Homes Standard will be heated by either a heat pump or connection to a low carbon heat network. In each case, additional thermal storage will be required to provide hot water.
The consultation proposes including a Home User Guide for householders which would explain that unlike a combi boiler, heat pumps don’t provide hot water. This would also contain guidance on accompanying thermal stores, including how to make use of cheaper off-peak tariffs to heat water.
A hot water cylinder can meet this thermal storage requirement, but there are many advantages to instead using a heat battery, such as a Sunamp Thermino.
Hot water cylinders can be bulky and take up a lot of space in the home, especially when compared to a combi boiler which would provide both heating and hot water. This can be a challenge for housing developers, particularly when working with minimum space requirements.
A Thermino heat battery stores energy in our patented Plentigrade phase change material which is four times more energy dense than water, meaning the systems take up a quarter of the space of an equivalent hot water cylinder. The battery can be charged by heat pumps and solar PV, which are likely to be mandated by the standard, and by grid electricity, allowing householders to benefit from off-peak electricity.
For developers and specifiers, there are a number of benefits – the compact size of the Thermino maximises space, while the cuboid shape and multiple options for pipe connection makes for a flexible installation. The phase change material inside the batteries is non-toxic and non-flammable, and there’s a reduced risk of legionella.
Another important feature of Thermino heat batteries is the vacuum insulation, which means heat losses are lower than that of a conventional hot water cylinder. The Future Homes Standard consultation proposes minimum insulation requirements for hot water storage vessels, a cost-effective measure which should ensure the performance of the accompanying heat pump.
An alternative way to measure this would be to set a minimum acceptable heat loss rate in kWh over a 24-hour period, in line with A+ ratings for efficiency of a thermal store. This would account for the use of more effective insulation materials, such as the vacuum insulation panels inside our heat batteries. These panels achieve up to 19 times the insulation performance of polystyrene foam, meaning high-performance insulation can be incorporated in a thinner material.
Does the Future Homes Standard go far enough in meeting net zero goals?
Over the course of the consultation period, industry bodies have debated whether the Future Homes Standard will be effective at helping the UK reach net zero by 2050. The standard proposes a 75-80% reduction in carbon emissions, working on the assumption that homes built to this standard will reach net zero once the grid has fully decarbonised.
However, many respondents to the consultation argued that all homes should be designed to be net zero in themselves, to provide an urgent response to climate change. The Royal Association of British Architects argued that rather than basing the standard on a reduction in emissions compared to existing buildings, it would be more effective to calculate the operational energy and embodied carbon of new homes.
The UK Green Building Council also suggested that the standards didn’t go far enough as many housing developers are already building homes to a higher standard than what’s proposed, and the proposals don’t include any measures to reduce the embodied carbon emissions from construction which account for 10% of the UK’s total emissions.
How you can prepare for the Future Homes Standard
The Future Homes Standard consultation has now closed and new legislation is expected to be introduced later in 2024, before full implementation of the standard in 2025. The legislation will be particularly relevant to housing developers and specifiers, but some homeowners will be affected too, including self-builders or those planning a renovation which includes an extension or changes to the thermal elements in the property.
Once the standard is implemented, transitional arrangements will apply. These arrangements are also under consultation, but there’s likely to be a period of either 6 or 12 months between the regulations being set and them coming into force. There will also be a 12-month transition period for builds in process, after which the new regulations will apply.
It is sensible to keep up to date with the results of the consultation and the upcoming legislation, while planning how to apply the Future Homes Standard to your housing stock or projects. Low carbon technologies are clearly key to meeting the standard, so increasing your knowledge of these is critical.
