37 READER SURVEY
DELIVERING THE FUTURE HOMES STANDARD
Which of the following best describes how aware you are of the Future Homes Standard and what it entails?
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Climate change is here; the earth has already warmed by around 1 degree, causing changes to rainfall patterns and rising sea levels, both of which are increasing the risk of heatwaves, floods, droughts and fires to the UK. It is estimated that our built environment is responsible
for 40% of the UK’s carbon emissions, with housing accounting for around 15% – with a general understanding that natural gas burned for heating and cooking is the main contributor. Multiple governments have introduced and scrapped
initiatives to try and address the issue – but a new mandatory standard has now been developed to directly tackle emissions from UK housing, through the Building Regulations.
A DEMANDING STANDARD The Future Homes Standard (FHS) 2025 is a series of measures written into legislation that, within four years, will see new housing producing 75-80% less carbon emissions than 1990 levels.
The Government has confirmed that, from 2025, no new homes will be allowed to be heated using fossil fuels, such as gas boilers. Homes will also be required to be ‘future-proofed’ to utilise the electricity grid as it continues to decarbonise. This means a push for housebuilders to install heat pumps, which only require electricity for power. Existing homes will also be subject to higher standards
under the new rules, with new regulations on extensions, replacements and repairs intended to save energy, make
homes warmer, and reduce bills. While the FHS is only the beginning of measures to meet the
UK’s statutory commitment to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, it is one of the most concrete – and most significant – early steps.
INDUSTRY CHALLENGES Despite the laudable ambitions, the FHS will prove challenging for many construction firms. In order to ascertain housebuilders’ views, Housebuilder & Developer has conducted a survey of our readers (over 80% of whom are in managerial construction roles). One key finding revealed was a lack of information and Government support, which is thought to be severely hampering understanding and uptake of the FHS. A startling 94% of respondents stated that the Government has not done enough to engage the public with the FHS, with 50% reporting that most of their buyers had never heard of it, and even 22% of respondents themselves having never heard of the FHS. Our respondents also reported multiple major barriers to meeting the standard. These ranged from increased construction costs, to an inability to price those costs into the finished product, a lack of skilled workers or relevant suppliers, or a lack of experience in the new technologies required to increase homes’ energy efficiency. This white paper explores some of these barriers, plus the FHS’ development, and how it has been received. It also looks at what the Government needs to do to increase awareness, and the benefits from the standard which are perceived by housebuilders and developers.
PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH
WWW.HBDONLINE.CO.UK
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