Future Homes and Future Buildings Standards Consultations

Future Homes and Future Buildings Standards Consultations

Yesterday afternoon, The Department For Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) published the long awaited Future Homes and Future Buildings Standards consultations. Links to the documents can be found below by clicking on the button.

Please rest assured that we will be engaging with all GGF members in the coming weeks to ensure a thorough response is submitted on behalf of the GGF community and we would urge you to submit a response of your own also.

The consultation includes proposals for Approved Document L1 Dwellings and also Approved Document L2 Buildings other than dwellings. Also included within the consultation is a proposal for changes to Approved Document F Ventilation.

DLUHC are also looking for feedback on Approved Document O now that developers and contractors have experience of applying it.

The consultation will close on the 6th March 2024.

View Consultation

Consultation Description

The government is committed to improving the energy efficiency and reducing the carbon emissions of new homes and non-domestic buildings. Energy efficiency requirements for new homes and non-domestic buildings are set by Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power) and Part 6 of the Building Regulations 2010 (“the Building Regulations”). This consultation sets out our plans for achieving the Future Homes Standard and Future Buildings Standard. It sets out technical proposals for changes to the Building Regulations, the associated Approved Document guidance and calculation methods.

The majority of this consultation has regard to new homes and non-domestic buildings. A small number of sections are also relevant to existing buildings. These are:

•    Material Change of Use
•    some elements of Updated Guidance and Minimum Standards
•    real-world performance of homes: changes to Approved Document L, Volume 1: Dwellings and Approved Document F, Volume 1: Dwellings to improve the commissioning of fixed building services in new and existing homes.
•    Part O (call for evidence)

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has also published a series of documents related to this consultation, as well as their own consultations on the Home Energy Model (HEM), which can be found at:

•    Home Energy Model consultation
•    Home Energy Model: Future Homes Standard assessment consultation

Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP)

Also announced yesterday was the launch of a new consultation for the Home Energy model, which is proposed to replace the existing SAP and will run in parallel with the Future Homes and Buildings Consultations.

The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) is the methodology currently used by the government to estimate the energy performance of homes across the United Kingdom. It is of critical importance to the delivery of our housing and climate change objectives.

The Home Energy Model will replace the SAP for the energy rating of dwellings. It is still under development and we will implement the first version alongside the Future Homes Standard in 2025.

We are consulting on the Model while it is still at a formative stage, so that industry can participate in the development process. This consultation:

– summarises the development and validation work undertaken to date
– invites feedback to enable further model development in advance of its introduction

Should you have any questions on the consultation, please do not hesitate to contact us.