Recommendation 8

HM Government Rejected

The Government will not look to alter the timeframe for the Future Homes Standard. The 2025 timeline delivers on our net zero commitments, while ensuring that new homes are delivered in sufficient numbers in the places that we need them; providing the good quality, warm homes that consumers expect. The Government recognises that some home-builders are already building to fabric standards above the current Building Regulations or installing low carbon heating systems, but it is important that all parts of industry are ready to build homes that are fit for a zero carbon future. To meet the Future Homes Standard, industry will need to develop the necessary supply chains, skills and construction practices to consistently deliver high quality homes that incorporate low-carbon heat and high levels of energy efficiency. In practice, that will mean ensuring that all developers are ready to build to higher fabric specifications and that enough heat pumps and trained installers are available, as we expect heat pumps will become the primary heating technology for new homes under the Future Homes Standard. However, we are not waiting until 2025 to take action. In December 2021, we introduced a Part L uplift for new homes, which came into force in June 2022. This is a key stepping stone that will enable us to successfully implement the Future Homes Standard. We have also listened to calls for a swifter and more certain pathway to 2025 and our work on a full technical specification for the Future Homes Standard has been accelerated. We therefore intend to consult on this in 2023 and introduce the necessary legislation in 2024, ahead of full implementation of the Future Homes Standard in 2025.