The run up to Christmas was busy with the Future Homes Hub providing a number of ‘evidence papers’ to inform the final Future Homes Standard, facilitating a roundtable meeting with Baroness Taylor, and activity through the FHS implementation board and working groups gearing up to help prepare the sector for the new standard. Thanks to all those involved.

Whilst the Government hasn’t yet announced the final detail of the standard or the timeline, wanting to consider how to ensure the standard is compatible with its wider objectives on housing, we thought it would be helpful to bring together what we do know about the standard from various statements Ministers and officials have made in recent weeks: 

• There will be a Future Homes Standard.

• The new Government is broadly content with the scope of the FHS proposals that were set out in the public consultation so will be able to introduce the standard without reconsulting.

• Homes will be future proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency. No further energy efficiency retrofit work will be necessary to enable them to become zero-carbon over time as the electricity grid continues to decarbonise. 

• The standard will include an element of rooftop solar to deliver cleaner energy to households and protect billpayers.

Then on the key question – when? Nothing definitive has yet been announced about the timetable, but we do know that:

May 2025 has consistently been the target date for the Home Energy Model (replacement of SAP) user interface being made available by the Governments HEM development team. We are keenly aware that laying of legislation and publication of the Approved Documents are of limited use without the HEM model being available. 

The full Government process before publishing the final regulations, if the Minister were to make a decision today, will take about 5 months, taking into account finalising the Impact Assessment, internal scrutiny and Cabinet clearance. 

Our working assumption, knowing that the Government is keen to publish the standard as soon as possible, is that it will be the summer, perhaps June or July. But that is only a guess.

We also know the Government is keen to give certainty as soon as possible so we are hopeful more will be said about the timing of the standard shortly.

I hope you had a great Christmas break – it will be a busy 2025!