Future Homes Standard: What Developers Need to Know
The Future Homes Standard will reshape how new homes are designed, specified and assessed.
For developers, housing providers and specifiers, compliance will increasingly depend on a whole-system approach to building performance, where every specification contributes to reducing energy demand, carbon emissions and operational costs.
As the industry prepares for the next generation of low-carbon homes, specification decisions are becoming increasingly important.
The Scale of Change
Future Homes Standard homes will need to produce 75-80% fewer carbon emissions than homes built under 2013 regulations.
This places greater emphasis on building performance, energy demand reduction, and long-term efficiency, increasing the importance of specification decisions that influence both energy and water consumption throughout the building’s life.
No single technology will deliver compliance alone. Instead, performance gains will need to come from multiple systems working together.
Talk to an expert today
Why Whole-System Efficiency Matters
Achieving compliance won’t be the result of a single technology.
High-performing homes rely on multiple elements working together, including:
- – Building fabric
- – Low-carbon heating
- – Ventilation
- – Water efficiency
- – Demand reduction measures
The focus is shifting from individual products towards understanding how every system within a home contributes to overall building performance.
Why Hot Water Demand Matters Under the Future Homes Standard
The Future Homes Standard has rightly focused attention on heat pumps, renewable energy and building fabric performance.
However, one area often receives less attention: hot water demand.
The average UK household uses around 4kWh of energy every day to provide hot water – the equivalent of boiling a kettle around 12 times a day.
As homes become better insulated and more energy-efficient, hot water can account for an increasing proportion of total household energy demand.
This means reducing hot water consumption is becoming an increasingly valuable opportunity to improve overall building performance.
Water-efficient technologies can help developers and housing providers reduce both water use and the energy required to heat it, supporting carbon reduction targets while improving the home’s overall efficiency.
Looking Ahead
The Future Homes Standard represents more than a regulatory change. It signals a shift towards performance-led housing design.
For developers, housing providers and specifiers, success will increasingly depend on understanding how every system within a home contributes to overall efficiency.
As compliance requirements evolve, opportunities to reduce both water and energy demand are likely to play an increasingly important role in delivering future-ready homes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The UK Government has stated that the Future Homes Standard is expected to be introduced in 2025, with the aim of ensuring new homes produce significantly lower carbon emissions than those built under previous Building Regulations standards. Developers and housing providers should continue monitoring guidance as implementation details evolve.
Discover More
Discover how Kelda’s Air-Powered™ shower technology helps reduce water and energy demand at the point of use while supporting whole-system efficiency and future housing performance.
Related Links
Future Homes Standards: What They Mean
Find Out More
Whole-System efficiency: maximising water, energy & carbon savings
Find Out More