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Future Homes and Building Standards

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are establishing Future Homes and Buildings Standards to mandate net-zero carbon emissions in new buildings and retrofits. The standards are supported by the Carbon Emissions from Buildings (Net Zero) Bill and Building Regulations (Minimum Standards) Bill, with impact assessments and the Home Energy Model completed.

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Family: Scrutiny and evidence

2026

1 event
27 Apr 2026 | Written question Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government linked

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to reverse the interpretation of Environmental Impact A

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to reverse the interpretation of Environmental Impact Assessment law on carbon emissions created by the Suprem

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2025

5 events
16 Nov 2025 | Committee report linked

The Government should set out how it plans to control the long-term costs and implementation of on-site BNG initiatives, so they are delivered to sufficient standards and ensure unreasonable costs are not passed onto households; as part of this, the Government should consider the implications of third-party delivery models. In addition, the Government should explain to us what it is already doing to prevent residents from being overcharged for BNG services in its response. (Recommendation, Pa...

The Government should set out how it plans to control the long-term costs and implementation of on-site BNG initiatives, so they are delivered to sufficient standards and ensure unreasonable costs are not passed onto households; as part of this, the …

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16 Nov 2025 | Committee report linked

The Government should consider what other steps it could take to encourage low-carbon approaches to building, including reviewing taxation policies to incentivise home owners, housebuilders, landlords and tenants to favour homes with lower levels of embodied carbon. (Recommendation, Paragraph 143)

The Government should consider what other steps it could take to encourage low-carbon approaches to building, including reviewing taxation policies to incentivise home owners, housebuilders, landlords and tenants to favour homes with lower levels of embodied carbon. (Recommendation, Paragraph 143)

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7 May 2025 | Written question Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government linked

Doors: Fire Prevention

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an estimate of the testing site capacity required to carry-out fire door tests for the new European Standard (EN1634-1) classification within the Answer: …

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23 Apr 2025 | Written question Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government linked

Housing: Standards

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the number of complaints on the quality of construction from new home owners to developers. Answer: The Building Regulations set …

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22 Apr 2025 | Written question Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government linked

Housing: Construction

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the quality of newly constructed newbuilds. Answer: The Building Regulations set out high-level functional requirements that most building work – …

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2024

2 events
26 Nov 2024 | Written question Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government linked

Buildings: Insulation

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the National Audit Office's report entitled Dangerous cladding: the government’s remediation portfo Answer: My officials …

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26 Nov 2024 | Written question Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government linked

Buildings: Insulation

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the National Audit Office's report entitled Dangerous cladding: the government’s remediation portfo Answer: My officials …

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2023

3 events
17 Nov 2023 | Committee report linked

DHSC must quickly complete and test its standardised hospital design to avert further delays to hospital construction, and to reduce the current high risk of cost and quality issues in years to come. DHSC has taken too long to get its Hospital 2.0 design off the drawing board. It continues to be optimistic that the design and a related new commercial model will reduce future construction costs by 25% and could even reduce the total time taken to develop new hospitals from 11 years to six. Yet...

DHSC must quickly complete and test its standardised hospital design to avert further delays to hospital construction, and to reduce the current high risk of cost and quality issues in years to come. DHSC has taken too long to get …

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17 Nov 2023 | Committee report linked

The NHP team also has to manage a number of commercial risks to the programme which could impact affordability and deliverability. These include a lack of capacity in the UK construction industry, and the significant investment needed in new factory capacity for modular, offsite construction. High inflation in the construction sector (around 14% a year from May to December 2022) might also result in companies being increasingly unwilling to bear the risk of inflation in contracts.77

The NHP team also has to manage a number of commercial risks to the programme which could impact affordability and deliverability. These include a lack of capacity in the UK construction industry, and the significant investment needed in new factory …

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5 Jan 2023 | Committee report linked

If the classes of land available for ground-mounted solar are further restricted, it will make it all the more imperative to mandate the widespread deployment of rooftop solar in new developments where there are appropriate south facing aspects. We recommend that the Future Homes Standard requires developers to fit solar PV as standard where it is possible.

If the classes of land available for ground-mounted solar are further restricted, it will make it all the more imperative to mandate the widespread deployment of rooftop solar in new developments where there are appropriate south facing aspects. We recommend …

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2022

15 events
7 Dec 2022 | Committee report linked

New homes built under the Programme may need expensive retrofitting to meet net-zero standards in the future. The Department did not set any standards around net-zero for the Programme and relies on housing providers to comply with relevant standards. This lack of foresight when setting up the 2021 programme means that housing providers may need to retrofit the homes they are currently building. The Department has not quantified this potential cost, and we are not convinced by its claim that ...

New homes built under the Programme may need expensive retrofitting to meet net-zero standards in the future. The Department did not set any standards around net-zero for the Programme and relies on housing providers to comply with relevant standards. This …

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7 Dec 2022 | Committee report linked

The Department did not set out to use the Programme to advance the government’s net zero objectives. The Department and Homes England did not include any specific targets around net-zero for the 2021 programme. Instead, housing providers must comply with existing and future environmental standards set out in the planning design guide and building standards.47 The Department said it expects that housing providers will follow the national design code. Homes England said that the overwhelming ma...

The Department did not set out to use the Programme to advance the government’s net zero objectives. The Department and Homes England did not include any specific targets around net-zero for the 2021 programme. Instead, housing providers must comply with …

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7 Dec 2022 | Committee report linked

The Department told us that it could have set higher standards from the outset for net- zero, but that doing so would likely reduce the number of homes delivered. We challenged the Department on this assertion, because it had not modelled the extent to which it might have been reduced. The Department replied that it ‘was probably not exactly where it wanted to be,’ at the end of the 2021 programme but will be better in the future.49

The Department told us that it could have set higher standards from the outset for net- zero, but that doing so would likely reduce the number of homes delivered. We challenged the Department on this assertion, because it had not …

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7 Dec 2022 | Committee report linked

The National Audit Office found that neither the Department nor Homes England modelled the potential costs of needing to retrofit homes built under the 2021 programme, to meet net zero standards.50 The Department said that the future homes standard, when it is introduced from 2025, will mean that homes after this date will not need to be retrofitted.51 The G15 group told us that the future homes standard will add at least £5,000 to the cost of a new home and that existing social housing stock...

The National Audit Office found that neither the Department nor Homes England modelled the potential costs of needing to retrofit homes built under the 2021 programme, to meet net zero standards.50 The Department said that the future homes standard, when …

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26 May 2022 | Committee report linked

There is no Government policy requiring the assessment or control of embodied carbon emissions from buildings. As a result, no progress has been made in reducing these emissions within the built environment. This inaction remains despite the built environment making up 25 per cent of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions and the UK’s Nationally Determined Contribution, made at COP26, committing the UK to achieve a 68% reduction in the UK’s carbon emissions by 2030. This is only eight years ...

There is no Government policy requiring the assessment or control of embodied carbon emissions from buildings. As a result, no progress has been made in reducing these emissions within the built environment. This inaction remains despite the built environment making …

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26 May 2022 | Committee report linked

A broad cross-section of the construction industry is willing and able to undertake whole-life carbon assessments. In the absence of an approved UK national methodology, the RICS Professional Statement on WLC is used as the accepted industry methodology for WLC assessments. Alongside this, various further guidance and software tools have been developed. As a result of the lack of an approved national methodology, the variety of assessment tools and interpretations for WLC that have developed ...

A broad cross-section of the construction industry is willing and able to undertake whole-life carbon assessments. In the absence of an approved UK national methodology, the RICS Professional Statement on WLC is used as the accepted industry methodology for WLC …

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26 May 2022 | Committee report linked

Local authorities are mandating WLC assessments of their own accord. Evidence so far shows that the policy is achievable and is working, with few barriers to its introduction. Introducing mandatory WLC assessments for buildings could be an easy way for the Government to dramatically reduce carbon in construction. The industry has repeatedly asked for an ambitious, clear timeframe for when whole-life carbon assessments will become mandatory. This timeline should align with the introduction of ...

Local authorities are mandating WLC assessments of their own accord. Evidence so far shows that the policy is achievable and is working, with few barriers to its introduction. Introducing mandatory WLC assessments for buildings could be an easy way for …

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26 May 2022 | Committee report linked

We recommend that the Government introduce, not later than December 2023, regulations to mandate whole-life carbon assessments for buildings above a gross internal area of 1000m2, or which create more than 10 dwellings. This requirement should be established in Building Regulations, and ought to be reflected in the planning system through national planning policy. Local authorities should be encouraged and supported to include this requirement within their Local Plans ahead of the introductio...

We recommend that the Government introduce, not later than December 2023, regulations to mandate whole-life carbon assessments for buildings above a gross internal area of 1000m2, or which create more than 10 dwellings. This requirement should be established in Building …

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26 May 2022 | Committee report linked

The timeline for the Future Homes Standard should be brought forward to December 2023 to align the timeframes for addressing operational and embodied carbon. This will help provide the industry with the confidence it requires to construct low- carbon, energy efficient buildings.

The timeline for the Future Homes Standard should be brought forward to December 2023 to align the timeframes for addressing operational and embodied carbon. This will help provide the industry with the confidence it requires to construct low- carbon, energy …

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26 May 2022 | Committee report linked

We recommend that following the introduction of whole-life carbon assessments, the Government should develop progressively ratcheted carbon targets for the built environment, to match the pathway to net zero set out in periodic carbon budgets. These ratcheting targets should be reported on annually, and progress reports towards achieving these targets should be published annually as part of the Net Zero Strategy indicators.

We recommend that following the introduction of whole-life carbon assessments, the Government should develop progressively ratcheted carbon targets for the built environment, to match the pathway to net zero set out in periodic carbon budgets. These ratcheting targets should be …

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26 May 2022 | Committee report linked

In our view, the RICS Professional Statement on whole-life carbon assessments is fit for use and already familiar to UK industry. We recommend that, as soon as possible following promulgation of the planned update of the Statement, the Government should seek to establish the RICS methodology as the UK industry standard for whole-life carbon assessments. (Paragraph 79) Building materials

In our view, the RICS Professional Statement on whole-life carbon assessments is fit for use and already familiar to UK industry. We recommend that, as soon as possible following promulgation of the planned update of the Statement, the Government should …

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26 May 2022 | Committee report linked

We recommend that the Government should change the term embodied energy to embodied carbon in the National Model Design Code and provide a clear definition of embodied carbon and whole-life carbon in the NMDC based on the WLCN, Building to net zero: costing carbon in construction 67 LETI and RIBA definitions. The Government should provide guidance on how to assess embodied carbon by setting a national methodology for whole-life carbon assessments, as we have recommended in Chapter 2 above.

We recommend that the Government should change the term embodied energy to embodied carbon in the National Model Design Code and provide a clear definition of embodied carbon and whole-life carbon in the NMDC based on the WLCN, Building to …

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26 May 2022 | Committee report linked

The post-Grenfell prohibition on the use of combustible materials in external walls has had a disproportionate impact on the use, innovation and testing of structural timber. Material safety perceptions have also affected the availability and cost of insurance, making it near impossible for developers to use timber in high rise or medium-rise buildings. There has been a substantial delay in the Government’s response to its consultation on amendments to the combustible materials ban, 68 Buildi...

The post-Grenfell prohibition on the use of combustible materials in external walls has had a disproportionate impact on the use, innovation and testing of structural timber. Material safety perceptions have also affected the availability and cost of insurance, making it …

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3 Feb 2022 | Committee report linked

The Future Homes Standard is another key policy in the Energy White Paper. It aims for new build homes to be fitted with low carbon heating, and high levels of energy efficiency to ensure that homes built to the Future Homes Standard will be zero carbon ready and have 75% to 80% lower carbon emissions than those built to current standards. Considering the Government aims to build one million homes in this Parliament alone, which will be heated by fossil fuel heating systems, it is naïve to as...

The Future Homes Standard is another key policy in the Energy White Paper. It aims for new build homes to be fitted with low carbon heating, and high levels of energy efficiency to ensure that homes built to the Future …

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3 Feb 2022 | Committee report linked

We acknowledge that the Government wants to give industry the time to develop its supply chains; however, this appears to be to the detriment of new build homeowners, who will have to pay to retrofit their homes. It is unnecessary to wait until 2025 to implement the Future Homes Standard. To minimise expensive retrofit costs, the Government should bring forward the implementation of the Future Homes Standard to 2023 instead of 2025.

We acknowledge that the Government wants to give industry the time to develop its supply chains; however, this appears to be to the detriment of new build homeowners, who will have to pay to retrofit their homes. It is unnecessary …

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2021

5 events
29 Oct 2021 | Committee report linked

Reaching net zero requires ensuring that new homes are designed and built in a way that will avoid subsequent retrofitting and are built to net zero standards. This will also avoid the cost of ensuring higher standards being borne by the people living in the property, rather than being met by the developer. There needs to be certainty about the details of the Future Homes Standard as soon as possible to ensure the 2025 target is met. The technical consultation on the Future Homes Standard sho...

Reaching net zero requires ensuring that new homes are designed and built in a way that will avoid subsequent retrofitting and are built to net zero standards. This will also avoid the cost of ensuring higher standards being borne by …

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23 Apr 2021 | Committee report linked

We raised concerns that, given sustainability targets, in two or three years the Department will have to retrofit much relatively new accommodation. It told us that it is running a number of low-carbon trials across Single Living Accommodation properties and considers that a 5% to 7% uplift can deliver a much higher standard of energy efficiency performance for new build accommodation. It said it is in the process of implementing this through its building standards. It also told us it is putt...

We raised concerns that, given sustainability targets, in two or three years the Department will have to retrofit much relatively new accommodation. It told us that it is running a number of low-carbon trials across Single Living Accommodation properties and …

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22 Mar 2021 | Committee report linked

Sustainable building materials are not being utilised to anywhere like their full potential in the UK. The use of natural fibre insulation could have significant benefits for the UK’s older housing stock.

Sustainable building materials are not being utilised to anywhere like their full potential in the UK. The use of natural fibre insulation could have significant benefits for the UK’s older housing stock. Type: conclusion | Number: 38 | Paragraph: 158 …

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17 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

The Government must ensure that its ‘build, build, build’ agenda has, at its heart, a commitment to delivering truly sustainable development by promoting the construction of low-carbon homes fit for a changing climate. We recommend that the Government introduce embodied carbon targets for the construction of new homes, so as to increase demand for low carbon materials, thereby stimulating growth in low- emission manufacturing of traditional, local materials and promoting the use of new low ca...

The Government must ensure that its ‘build, build, build’ agenda has, at its heart, a commitment to delivering truly sustainable development by promoting the construction of low-carbon homes fit for a changing climate. We recommend that the Government introduce embodied …

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17 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

The manufacture of construction materials is a sector with the potential to make a significant contribution to the path to net zero. We plan to examine this sector in greater detail in a forthcoming inquiry into the sustainability of the built environment. We will be making further recommendations on the Government’s plans for energy efficiency of existing homes in our forthcoming report on the subject.

The manufacture of construction materials is a sector with the potential to make a significant contribution to the path to net zero. We plan to examine this sector in greater detail in a forthcoming inquiry into the sustainability of the …

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2020

3 events
9 Dec 2020 | Committee report linked

Homes England forecasts that around 36% of homes (2,370 of the total 6,600 planned homes) built on the land remediated through funding intended for Starter Homes will meet the definition of affordable housing.16 We were concerned though that funding intended to support first-time buyers will in fact result in so many market-value homes.17 Homes England told us that the Starter Homes programme intended to recover 75% of costs from onward sale of land to developers. It told us that, to date, it...

Homes England forecasts that around 36% of homes (2,370 of the total 6,600 planned homes) built on the land remediated through funding intended for Starter Homes will meet the definition of affordable housing.16 We were concerned though that funding intended …

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9 Dec 2020 | Committee report linked

The Department and Homes England told that they were trying to encourage the building of smaller, cheaper homes through investing in firms that build modular homes and encouraging sites with high levels of modular construction. It explained it was looking to increase demand for this type of home. However, Homes England cautioned that local authority planning committees were nervous of this type of home, so it was gathering the evidence to demonstrate to the sector that this was worthwhile and...

The Department and Homes England told that they were trying to encourage the building of smaller, cheaper homes through investing in firms that build modular homes and encouraging sites with high levels of modular construction. It explained it was looking …

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21 Feb 2020 | Written question Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government linked

Buildings: Insulation

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2020 to Question 11599 on Buildings: Insulation, whether the Government has plans to mandate building owners to proactively share information Answer: …

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