Future Homes Standard 2027: what new-build buyers need to know

What to know first

These points explain which new homes are affected, why heat pumps are likely and what buyers should verify.

For buyers, the central answer is simple: heat pumps are likely to become common, but the Future Homes Standard is performance-based rather than a universal air source heat pump mandate.

The sales or completion date alone does not establish which standard applies. You need the position for the individual building or plot.

What changes on 24 March 2027?

The 2026 regulations generally come into force for new-home work in England on 24 March 2027. Certain higher-risk building work moves to the new rules on 24 September 2027. Part L will address both energy conservation and greenhouse gas emissions, while a new L3 requirement covers on-site renewable electricity generation.

Compliance compares the actual home with a theoretical “notional dwelling” of the same size and shape. Building control assesses whether the completed home meets the required targets.

Does the Future Homes Standard make air source heat pumps compulsory?

No. Approved Document L allows the actual dwelling to use a different specification from the notional dwelling if it meets every applicable target and the rest of the guidance.

The notional home still sets the benchmark. It includes a heat pump, improved airtightness, wastewater heat recovery and decentralised mechanical extract ventilation. The government says the policy is intended to produce homes that no longer rely on fossil fuels.

A house may use an air source or ground source heat pump. A flat may receive heat from a compliant communal or district heat network. Other designs may be possible if they pass the calculations and building control accepts the evidence.

Expert insight

“Think of the notional dwelling as the pass mark, not a compulsory shopping list. Equipment can vary, but the performance targets remain.”

Giles Crosse

Energy Editor

Experienced editor, journalist and communications consultant specialising in consumer energy and low carbon technologies.

• Editor and campaign author for Shell, EDF Energy and Good Energy.
• Consultant to the United Nations and contributor to the World Economic Forum.
• Journalist for Reuters, the BBC, The Economist and The Guardian.

More about Giles Crosse

What will an air source heat pump mean day to day?

Most domestic air source systems are air-to-water heat pumps. They transfer heat from outside air to water for radiators or underfloor heating, and usually heat water stored in a cylinder. Air-to-air systems distribute warm air and need a separate hot-water solution.

A heat-pump home is normally designed to deliver steady heat at a lower water temperature than a traditional boiler system. Approved Document L says a new wet heating system should meet the home’s needs at a maximum flow temperature of 55°C. The heat pump, emitters, pipework and controls must therefore be designed together.

The system should use a room-by-room heat-loss calculation and meet the full design heating requirement without assuming that secondary heaters will cover a shortfall. Controls should include weather compensation or internal temperature control. Weather compensation changes the water temperature as outdoor conditions change.

Siting matters too. Official guidance says the outdoor unit should not be next to sleeping areas or mounted on materials that readily transmit vibration.

Good to know

A heat pump may run for longer periods and use a modest temperature “set-back” rather than repeatedly switching fully off. That can be normal and efficient when the system is set up correctly.

Will every new home also have solar panels?

Not necessarily, although renewable electricity will be normal. The L3 requirement allows solar photovoltaic panels or another on-site renewable electricity technology.

For houses, the main guidance route uses output equivalent to panels rated at 0.22kWp per square metre over an area equal to 40% of the ground-floor area. Another route uses the reasonably practicable roof area. Exceptions apply where the building cannot support the stated minimum output and in some taller buildings.

Good to know

The 40% figure is an output benchmark, not an instruction to cover exactly 40% of every roof. Roof shape, shading and documented exceptions can change the array.

Why might a home completed in 2028 follow older rules?

Because transition depends on the individual building, not simply its completion date. For most non-higher-risk work, earlier standards can continue where the relevant notice or full-plans application was submitted before 24 March 2027 and work on that building commenced before 24 March 2028. The government says this operates building by building, not across a whole development.

For higher-risk building work, the new provisions generally start on 24 September 2027. A valid Gateway 2 application submitted before that date may preserve the earlier Part L route, subject to the detailed conditions and the application succeeding.

Expert insight

“Built in 2028” does not prove that a home meets the 2026 edition of Approved Document L. Ask which Part L edition and transition route apply to that plot.”

Giles Crosse

Energy Editor

Experienced editor, journalist and communications consultant specialising in consumer energy and low carbon technologies.

• Editor and campaign author for Shell, EDF Energy and Good Energy.
• Consultant to the United Nations and contributor to the World Economic Forum.
• Journalist for Reuters, the BBC, The Economist and The Guardian.

More about Giles Crosse

What should a new-build buyer ask for?

This is a starting point. The developer, building control body and relevant professionals make the formal decisions.

1. Confirm the standard. Ask which Part L edition applies to the plot, whether transition is being used and what application and commencement dates support it.

2. Get the heating specification. For a heat pump, ask for the model, output, design flow temperature, heat-loss calculation, emitter sizes, controls, cylinder capacity and any back-up heater. The owner’s information should include the heat-loss calculation, design flow temperature, emitter-circuit size and minimum set-back temperatures.

3. Request the as-built evidence. The owner should receive a signed Building Regulations England Part L compliance report, or BREL report, plus build-quality photographs. The handover information should also point to the on-construction Energy Performance Certificate recommendations report.

4. Check commissioning and certification. Ask for the heat-pump commissioning checklist and applicable Building Regulations certificate. Approved Document L recognises a relevant competent person scheme, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, or equivalent competence evidence for commissioning.

5. Get a usable handover. The Home User Guide should explain heating, hot water, renewable generation and ventilation in non-technical language. The guidance expects a paper copy and digital availability.

6. See the system working. Ask for a demonstration of heating, hot water, controls, solar monitoring and fault messages. Check the outdoor unit’s position, airflow, drainage, vibration and sound.

Will the rules make a new home cheaper to run?

Not in every comparison. The government’s model expects a Future Homes Standard home to compare favourably with a typical existing EPC D home. Against a Part L 2021 gas-boiler new home, some modelled bill savings are small or negative because electricity was assumed to cost around four times as much as gas per unit. Solar, heat-pump efficiency, tariffs, controls and the absence of a gas standing charge can change the result.

The impact assessment estimates an average additional developer capital cost of £4,350 per dwelling in 2025 prices. Its dwelling-type estimates range from £1,550 to £5,690, and it says costs could vary by about ±30% or more. These are policy-model figures, not a quotation or a predicted increase in the purchase price.

The Regulatory Policy Committee rated the assessment “not fit for purpose” because parts of its options and small-business analysis were insufficiently evidenced, while calling its presentation of monetised impacts satisfactory. Treat the figures as modelling, not promises.

Key takeaways

• The general England start date is 24 March 2027, with different arrangements for certain higher-risk work.

• The standard sets performance targets rather than prescribing one heat-pump product.

• A heat pump is in the reference design, so it is likely to be common.

• Renewable electricity will normally be required, but solar provision can vary.

• A post-2027 completion date does not prove which Part L edition applies.

• Buyers should obtain plot-specific compliance, commissioning and handover evidence.

• Lower bills are not guaranteed.

Frequently asked questions