UKGBC has responded to the publication of the Future Home Standards consultation.
Julie Hirigoyen, Chief Executive at UKGBC, said:
“After a long wait, the Government’s response to the Future Homes Standard consultation brings much-needed clarity to our industry.
“We are pleased to see confirmation that the Future Homes Standard will mean new homes will have carbon dioxide emissions 75-80% lower than those built to current Building Regulations – though it’s regrettable that the Standard won’t be implemented till 2025, despite it being widely trailed that it would be brought forward to 2023. We also welcome the interim 31% threshold later this year, which will put us on a path to the Future Homes Standard.
“It’s a big relief that the Government has ditched its original proposal to scrap the Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard (FEES). We had long argued that scrapping the FEES would be a highly retrograde step, meaning in some cases that a home that would fail current Building Regulations because of poor fabric could pass the 2021 regulations. Meanwhile, the many local authorities that have declared climate emergencies will also be relieved that Government has confirmed that in the immediate term they can still set higher energy performance standards for new homes than those mandated by Building Regulations. But they, like us, will be disappointed that Government hasn’t completely ruled out curtailing their powers in the future. ”
The Government’s full response to the Future Homes Standard consultation can be found here.
It includes confirmation that ‘new build is an area where we can and must maintain momentum’ when it comes to energy efficiency.
It says that from 2025, the Future Homes Standard will deliver homes that are zero-carbon ready, which means that new homes will not be built with fossil fuel heating, such as a natural gas boiler. These homes will be future-proofed with low-carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency.
