Are housing providers ready for the Future Homes Standard?
A survey by Inside Housing and roofing system manufacturer Marley explores how housing providers are preparing for the Future Homes Standard and how it could affect their residents and business
A survey by Inside Housing and roofing system manufacturer Marley explores how housing providers are preparing for the Future Homes Standard and how it could affect their residents and business (sponsored) #UKhousingSponsored by:
In an effort to decarbonise the UK’s housing stock, governments have introduced changes to building regulations to make new homes more energy efficient. It is anticipated that the Future Homes Standard (FHS) will be published in full this autumn and is expected to require the use of solar energy and heat pumps by 2027 in England, as well as specify improvements to the thermal efficiency of buildings.
The advantages for residents are clear – the government’s own estimates predict a saving of £530 per year by installing rooftop solar panels, for example. But house builders and providers must factor in the cost of building to the new standard. In a recent survey, Inside Housing partnered with roofing system manufacturer Marley to understand how organisations feel about the FHS, how they are preparing and what challenges they face.
Most respondents were from housing associations (38%) and local authorities (26%), while 10% were from construction/development companies.
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Overall, respondents were optimistic that the FHS would have positive outcomes: 65% think it will improve the housing stock of the nation overall, 63% feel it will help them meet their net zero goals, 61% foresee lower energy bills for residents, and 56% think it will help create more comfortable, pleasant homes for residents. Only 3% did not think the FHS would deliver any of the suggested positive outcomes.
Cost of building
The advantages, however, have a price tag attached. Nearly three-quarters of respondents (72%) said that the FHS will increase the cost of building new homes. This could have a knock-on effect on rents, house prices and the feasibility of new build schemes. Indeed, 50% said that one disadvantage of the FHS will be that it will make it more difficult to meet national housebuilding targets.
At the time of the survey, and of publication, the final details of the standard had not been published. Housing providers feel overwhelmingly uninformed, with 84% of respondents to the survey saying that they do not feel that governments have been clear in how they expect the FHS to affect the sector.
“It is disappointing that we are more than halfway through 2025 and the full details of the FHS are still not known,” one respondent commented.
Another said that “the process has been drawn out and full of uncertainty, which mitigates against effective preparation”.
Nevertheless, providers have proven themselves to be adaptable and are approaching the FHS with a characteristically agile mindset. For example, 65% of respondents that build homes felt they could adapt relatively quickly once they understand the final specifications of the regulation, and 14% said they have a high degree of readiness, already constructing to the predicted standards, or are able to adapt straight away.
Partnerships could prove key
Housing providers are exploring several approaches to meeting the new FHS. Most commonly, they are turning to their supply chain for answers and seeking funding – presumably to help cover the increased costs outlined above. More than half (54%) of respondents said they are working with suppliers to ensure they have the technologies and materials to make homes more energy efficient.
72%
Respondents who said Future Homes Standard would increase cost of building homes
14%
Respondents who said they have a high degree of readiness for standards
65%
Respondents who cited disruption to residents as an obstacle to retrofitting
40%
Respondents seeking funding help to build green homes
Respondents see several potential benefits to working with suppliers to meet their net zero goals. For example, 66% said that suppliers could advise during planning to spec systems that meet new standards. Similarly, 60% thought that suppliers could provide post-installation testing to specify systems are compliant.
“We are great advocates of demonstrating how early engagement with a manufacturer on housing schemes is delivering providers with genuine added value,” says Lydia Hunter, national specification manager at Marley. “Schemes that have taken on a collaborative approach are being delivered more efficiently with fewer call-back issues. By engaging early in the specification process, clients can integrate compliant, high-performance solutions seamlessly into their schemes. This reduces design changes later in the programme.”
As well as consulting with suppliers, many respondents (40%) are exploring funding options for the retrofit of existing homes. The most common source was the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (formerly the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund), with 62% of respondents to our survey saying they have accessed this to help fund energy efficiency initiatives.
But many pointed out that the improvements targeted in the FHS and for existing homes could not be achieved without a corresponding boost in skills.
“Staff must be correctly educated in building fabrication and construction methods,” said one respondent.
Another noted that “it would be great if there was extra support for very small providers who have limited staff and resources – for renewables and fabric-first improvements”.
Currently, a quarter of respondents said they are training staff in energy-efficient building practices in preparation for the FHS, but only 3% are recruiting.
Responses to the survey reflect the focus of the FHS on three critical approaches to decarbonisation: fabric, solar and heat pumps.
When asked which technologies or approaches offer the most potential to decarbonise properties, respondents were consistently optimistic about these three: 82% said improvements to fabric such as better insulation, build standards, R-values and triple glazing are important in helping them meet their net zero goals in new builds and existing properties; 67% said the same about solar energy on new builds (58% for existing properties); and 61% said the same about air source heat pumps (47% for existing properties).
In addition to preparing for the FHS, housing providers face the ongoing demand of retrofitting existing properties to improve their energy efficiency – a significant challenge, not least because there are people living in them.
Indeed, the biggest obstacle in carrying out more work to retrofit existing properties is disruption to residents, cited by 65% in the survey. This was closely followed by difficulty in accessing funding (highlighted by 64%), and a lack of hard cost/benefit data, which 44% said was a challenge.
“Close partnership between developers and suppliers can help ensure robust planning of product supply, mitigating delays and safeguarding budgets,” says Ms Hunter. “This joined-up approach – from concept to completion – can not only accelerate the completion of higher-quality, more robust homes, but help to do so in readiness for the updates to the Future Homes Standard.”
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