Chancellor Philip Hammond has announced, as part of his Spring Statement, that the government will introduce a ‘Future Homes Standard’ as part of its action to create a carbon neutral future by “marking the end of fossil fuel heating systems” in all new homes by 2025.
By 2025, all new build homes must feature low carbon heating and “world leading levels” of energy efficiency in an attempt by the government to build on the prime minister’s Industrial Strategy Grand Challenge mission to at least halve the energy use of new buildings by 2030 and to deliver lower fuel bills too, the government explained.
The news comes only weeks after the Government's advisory Committee on Climate Change (CCC) latest report, published in February 2019, concluded that “UK homes are not fit for future” and recommended the urgent need to install heat pumps to reduce carbon emissions and measures to ensure the ending of any new home’s connection to the gas grid by 2025.
The CCC report had highlighted that greenhouse gas emission reductions from UK housing stock have stalled and any efforts being made to adapt the current housing stock have fallen way behind schedule and therefore the risks from a changing climate are increasing.
Ultimately, the report confirms that the quality, design and use of homes across the UK must be improved immediately to address the ongoing challenges of climate change.
Environmental groups have welcomed the ban, although many have questioned why there has to await until 2025, especially as currently around 40% of the total energy use within the UK is used for heating and powering buildings.
The particulars of the new standard are to be consulted on during 2019 and as they fundamentally change how we build new homes in the future, the industry will be heavily involved as builders and manufacturers will need the time and support to select and introduce new product ranges and consider manufacturing routes and costs to prevent the end buyer having to incur significant extra costs.