According to The Times, this is expected to be mandatory for nearly all newly built homes in England during the construction stage, as part of the government’s net zero plans and aims to reduce energy bills.
It has been reported that this would raise the cost of building a home by as much as £4,000, but would be offset by homeowners saving up to £1,000 each year on energy costs.
The Future Homes Standard – introduced by the Conservatives in 2019, consulted on in 2021 and set to come into effect this year – aims to make sure homes are “zero carbon ready” and require no additional retrofitting and deliver carbon savings.
This week, Labour announced it would consult on allowing homeowners to choose from a wider range of heat pumps as part of its Warm Homes Plan. It also introduced the Warm Homes Skills Programme, with 18,000 training opportunities for skilled workers to install sustainable technologies in homes.
