Associate Pam Kamel, in our Residential Property team, explains what the Future Homes Standard means for heating in new-build homes and what buyers need to know.
The government has stated that, from next year, gas boilers will no longer be viable for installation on new build properties. The ‘Future Homes Standard’ is a new set of building regulations which will come into force on 24 March 2027, requiring new homes’ carbon emissions to be reduced by 75-80% versus 2013 standards.
This is a UK policy, supporting the 2050 net zero target , and aims to stop new homes with traditional gas boilers from being built, so that new houses emit lower emissions and use less energy. Below, we explore what this means and the alternative heating methods available.
What does this mean?
The legislation does not explicitly ban gas boilers. Instead, it sets an emissions target for each new home based on low-carbon heating. Gas heating would not meet this target, so developers will need to install alternative heating systems to comply. Existing homes are unaffected, and there is no deadline for replacing a working gas boiler.
When will this come into effect?
The legislation will come into force for new homes as of 24 March 2027, with a transitional period between March 2027 and March 2028 allowing older standards for registered plots to follow the previous standards. A home may follow the previous standards if an initial notice was given before 24 March 2027 and work begins before 24 March 2028.
This will be assessed by each building, so with properties built in phases the latter phases may fall under the new rules, with older phases being exempt from the requirement for gas heating.
What are the alternative heating types?
Air source or ground source heat pumps, paired with a hot water cylinder and controls, will be the most common option. Working like a refrigerator in reverse, they extract heat from the outside air or ground to heat the building and its water.
Most new homes will also be required to have solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, commonly known as solar panels. This requirement will apply alongside the changes to heating systems, making solar panels another feature that buyers can expect to see in most new-build properties.
For further information or legal advice, please contact law@blandy.co.uk or call 0118 951 6800.
This article is intended for the use of clients and other interested parties. The information contained in it is believed to be correct at the date of publication, but it is necessarily of a brief and general nature and should not be relied upon as a substitute for specific professional advice.
