The standard was expected to come into force in 2027, but the new Housing Regulations will now apply to houses built from March 2028 onwards.
March 24, 2026
The UK government has today introduced new rules to implement the Future Homes Standard (FHS), mandating that all new-build domestic properties in the UK are built with onsite renewable generation.
This will, the government anticipates, be primarily rooftop solar PV. The mandate to update England’s Building Regulations also covers improved insulation and heat pump installations.
As confirmed in summer last year, the FHS will state that if developers cannot meet requirements to install rooftop solar PV coverage equivalent to 40% of a building’s floor area, a “reasonable amount” of coverage is still required. 
The standard was expected to come into force in 2027, but the new Housing Regulations will now apply to houses built from March 2028 onwards.
The government today said it will also confirm the technical details of the Home Energy Model (HEM), which is a new, quality-assured methodology due to be implemented to demonstrate compliance with the FHS. 
Related:Defra confirms ‘enough land’ in England for solar, housing and farming to coexist
It said that the HEM will support innovation in new-build products, best‑practice heat‑pump installation, and recognise smart, zero‑bills technologies. This will allow some room for clean energy installations that are not solar PV. 
There are of course some exemptions to the FHS, including high-rise buildings. Arguably plugging that gap, alongside the implementation of the FHS, the government has today announced progress on its commitment to ‘plug-in’ solar PV, which it said will be available in shops “within months”.
It said it is working with retailers like Lidl, and manufacturers including EcoFlow, to enable the technology, already common in European countries including Germany, to come to the UK market.
This will require amendment to the BS 7671 wiring rules and the G98 code, which governs the smallest-scale connections to the grid. Systems of up to 800W will be available for use in this way.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said “tailored safety standards” will be introduced “within months”. This will allow those without access to standard rooftop installations to plug solar panels into their mains electricity using a standard electric plug.
Chris Hewett, chief executive of solar trade body Solar Energy UK, said the group doesn’t see plug-in solar competing with conventional rooftop systems but rather “making solar more popular and accessible, particularly for flats”.
The plug-in solar news builds on an announcement from energy secretary Ed Miliband last week in response to rising energy prices resulting from the conflict in the Middle East.
Related:Welsh new deal sets out to accelerate renewable energy and boost communities
On today’s announcement, Miliband said: “The Iran War has once again shown our drive for clean power is essential for our energy security, so we can escape the grip of fossil fuel markets we don’t control.  
“Whether through solar panels fitted as standard on new homes or making it possible for people to purchase plug-in solar in shops, we are determined to roll out clean power so we can give our country energy sovereignty.” 
Despite the government’s assertion that energy bills are actually due to drop by £117 in April—which is the next price cap period, with the cap having been set based on observation of the energy market before the US-Israeli invasion of Iran—projections are that in the next period it will jump up to £1,972.53 (from £1,641 April-June).
According to the government, the FHS measures could save households up to £830 annually on their energy bills, when compared to a standard home with an EPC rating of C. Those savings will not be seen until after the FHS comes into force.
Another measure announced today is a ‘Discounted Energy’ scheme that will theoretically reduce curtailment and reduce household energy bills further. The government said it will trial enabling suppliers and flexibility service providers to offer households and businesses in areas with constrained renewable generation discounted power during these periods.
Related:Miliband accelerates solar amid Middle East price shock threat
It will predominantly apply to areas in Scotland and the East of England. This closely resembles an initiative launched by Octopus Energy, headed by Greg Jackson, who currently sits in the UK Cabinet Office in an advisory capacity.
Jackson, commenting on the news today, said: “It’s great that the government want to give homes and businesses cheap electricity on windy days instead of paying wind farms to switch off. Once this is permanent, companies and families will be able to invest confidently in electric vehicles, batteries and heat pumps – knowing they’ll be cheap to run.” 
Dhara Vyas, chief executive of trade body Energy UK, called the FHS publication “a landmark moment for clean energy in Britain”.
Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), responded to the news: “Finally some good news for new build owners!”  
The FHS was a core manifesto promise of the current government, elected in 2024, having been floated as an idea by the previous Conservative government before then. 
However, close to a year after the government's commitment to the rooftop revolution, the policy that had seemed a sure thing from the off was still a distant promise. It was likely that the updated Building Regulations took more time to iron out than expected because of another manifesto promise to build 1.5 million new homes in England before 2030.
Housing secretary Steve Reed said: “Building 1.5 million new homes also means building high-quality homes that are cheaper to run and warmer to live in.”
According to Ralston, “housebuilders have spent years pushing back against standards to stop homes wasting so much energy and at a time of another gas price crisis this takes on a whole new perspective.
“The delay in standards is an energy security and, therefore, a national security issue.”
Some, such as Mohamed Gafaar, CEO and co-founder of Gryd Energy, a provider of fully funded smart solar and storage systems for new-build homes, have noted the absence of battery storage in the regulation.
Gafaar called it a “missed opportunity,” adding: “Costs have fallen dramatically in recent years – the technology is now affordable, proven, and essential to unlocking the full value of rooftop solar.”
The government has never said domestic battery energy storage would be included in the FSH.
Earlier this year, some media headlines suggested the government was backtracking on the FHS by not including any provision for energy storage systems (ESS). However, as pointed out at the time by SEUK’s Hewett, the standard has been under development since 2019, when the battery market was very different, in terms of availability, cost and capacity. 
However, it has also launched a call for evidence on the next steps for the £5 billion Warm Homes Fund, as part of the rollout of the £15 billion Warm Homes Plan, published earlier this year. Financing is available for retrofitting and upgrades, the options for which the government will engage with industry on and could include ESS.
The increase in demand for installers and suppliers that the FHS will create is a boon for the industry, though green skills shortages in the UK will tamper that excitement. 
That said, the government has launched numerous initiatives to boost green jobs, most recently creating a new Apprenticeship Unit ‘Solar PV installation and maintenance’. 
Read more about:
Molly Green
Senior Reporter, Informa
Molly joined the team in 2024 and has led coverage on the UK sites. Now shifting to a more global view, Molly is interested in how legislation shapes market dynamics, covering the intersection of policy design, investment patterns, and energy transition pathways. 
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