How to make the Future Homes Standard work in practice
Late March’s announcement of the Future Homes Standard (FHS) marks a significant step for the UK’s housing sector. Positioned as a move towards greener, cheaper living, the standard aims to reduce homes’ reliance on fossil fuels with the combination of changes predicted to bring a 75% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions compared to homes built to 2013 standards. From March 2028, there will be no new homes connected to the gas network and gas boilers will be replaced with heat pumps delivering more efficient heating and hot water. Alongside this, there is a requirement for solar panel installation for most homes.
Overall, these measures represent a clear promise to consumers that new homes will be more energy efficient and less reliant on fossil fuels and therefore the volatility of fossil fuel markets.
While the industry’s focus has rightly been on transforming how energy is generated, little attention has been paid to how that energy is used within the home itself. One notable omission is appliance-level consumption. The standard does not touch upon this, leaving an important part of the energy picture unaddressed.
What the FHS means in practice for housebuilders
For housebuilders, the standard transforms how houses are designed and built. It means delivering more efficient homes that are aligned with an electrified, low-carbon future. This centres on replacing traditional gas systems with low-carbon alternatives such as heat pumps. When combined with solar panels, this can create one of the most efficient home-energy systems available, with solar generating much of the electricity used to power the system, further reducing bills and emissions.
Most new homes will be powered entirely by electricity rather than a mix of gas and electric systems. With the demand for electricity increasing, this places greater pressure on the grid and an emphasis on how that energy is managed and consumed throughout the day. Heating, hot water, cooking and appliances will draw from the same energy source, increasing the importance of efficiency not just in infrastructure, but across every element of the home.
While housebuilders are already adapting to meet these structural and regulatory requirements, this transition introduces a new challenge to ensure that homes perform as efficiently in everyday use as they are designed on paper.
Where electrified homes risk falling short of their low-carbon promise
Take appliances, for example. Although not always a primary focus in the design process, they play a significant role in a home’s overall energy profile. Their impact is felt over the lifetime of a home, meaning day-to-day performance matters, so it should be considered alongside design and cost decisions.
In an individual home, specification difference in one appliance may seem marginal, however, across the appliance set and in an entire development, the gap between high and low efficiency specification becomes significant in absolute numbers, but especially across lifetime. As energy used for heating decreases (through the use of heat pumps) “unregulated” electricity use, such as refrigeration, cooking and laundry, will account for an increasing share of household energy consumption. Yet, appliances are usually treated as a fixed assumption in energy modelling, rather than something actively designed for. This results in homes that are efficient on paper but could fall short in everyday use.
The role of appliance specification in delivering low-carbon and sustainable homes
For housebuilders, appliance specification deserves a place alongside other important elements. This is due to its increased proportion of operational emissions in future homes, where heating and hot water become much more energy efficient. In an all-electric home, appliances are long-term energy assets. The variation between models is significant: energy and water consumption can differ widely and specifying a whole suite of more energy efficient models can make a difference.
In practice, efficient appliance use does depend heavily on human behaviour. Running appliances efficiently often requires choosing the right cycle, using eco settings, and maintaining them over time. Think of Eco mode like a marathon rather than a sprint – it takes longer but uses less energy overall. This is why consumer education is equally important.
This presents a clear opportunity. More considered specification can support long-term development performance, enhance resident satisfaction through lower running costs, and strengthen the quality of low-carbon homes. Ultimately, small decisions have a big impact. Across hundreds (or thousands) of homes, appliance specification can become a powerful lever to reduce emissions, manage energy demands, and ensure homes perform as intended, long after being built.
Source: Showhouse
