A warm (if slightly exasperated) welcome to the FHS

After years of development (and suspense) the Future Homes Standard has been published today - both the government response to the 2023 consultation and the Part L 2026 Approved Documents. I don’t want to know how many grey hairs I’ve gains since I first uttered the works ‘Future Homes Standard’!
 
As expected, it sets out heat pumps, PV and effective fabric as the route for new homes to achieve net zero carbon once the grid decarbonises - but with an added new legal requirement for on-site renewable electricity generation.
 
Part L 2026 will come into force on 24th March 2027, with a 12-month transitional arrangement period. So any sites expected to start construction after 24th March 2028 should prepare for the uplift in standards now.

I’m so pleased to finally have a launch date to share with clients!

Here are the headlines:

• An end to gas boilers in new homes

• Mandatory PV panels

• PV target equivalent to 40% of the building footprint, unless design limits PV installation

• Consultation ‘Option 1’ was selected as the basis for the FHS notional dwelling

• Whilst the target includes air source heat pumps, mechanical ventilation, and waste water heat recovery there is still flexibility in the design solution

• Dwellings connected to a heat network may have more flexibility in emission targets as they will be compared to a ‘low carbon heat network’ notional building

• The new Part L 2026 comes into force for building control submissions made from 24th March 2027

• For building control submissions before this date there is a 12-month transitional period to start construction without needing to uplift to FHS

• High‑risk buildings (including high‑rise residential) have an additional six‑month grace and won’t need to meet FHS until September 2027