The new proposals aim to alleviate the cost of living for young families and new house buyers, while also enhancing the nation’s energy security.
The initiative, part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, aims to ease living costs for young families and new homebuyers while enhancing energy security. Solar panels will become a standard feature in most new homes, complemented by energy-efficient technologies like heat pumps and heat networks. These requirements align with efforts to promote low-carbon heating and reduce reliance on traditional energy sources.
UK Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook stated: “As part of the government’s Plan for Change to build 1.5 million homes, we are maximising the use of renewable energy to cut people’s bills and power their homes. The Future Homes Standard will ensure new homes are modern and efficient with low-carbon heating, while our common sense planning changes will now make it easier and cheaper for people to use heat pumps and switch to EVs so they can play their part in bolstering our nation’s energy security.”
The Future Homes Standard will update building regulations to prioritize solar energy, with provisions for practical challenges, such as shading from trees, to ensure widespread applicability. Recent legislative changes also support clean energy adoption by allowing homeowners to install heat pumps within one meter of their property boundary without needing a planning application. According to Octopus Energy, 34% of potential heat pump users are deterred by planning requirements, and this change is expected to encourage more households to adopt renewable solutions.
Charlotte Lee, CEO of the Heat Pump Association, stated: “This announcement provides a clear signal to the heat pump sector to scale up delivery in terms of workforce and manufacturing to meet the anticipated growth in the market and demonstrates the government’s commitment to decarbonise buildings.” The first quarter of 2025 recorded a 73% increase in applications for the boiler upgrade scheme compared to 2024, offering households up to £7,500 toward heat pump installation. Effective use of smart tariffs could yield an additional £100 in annual savings, further supporting the transition to sustainable energy in the UK.
