The UK Government has now shared the outcome of a consultation on how residential properties should be built in a bid to tackle both housing and energy crises.
The Future Homes & Buildings Standards Guidance concludes an assessment period which began in 2023. The goal was to gather views on changes to Building Regulations in a bid to improve efficiency of heating, cooling and ventilation, among other things.
This framework details how to design and construct both domestic and non-domestic new build properties, with a particular emphasis on installation of smart meters at the initial completion phase. By following the blueprint, developers will ensure all projects are future-proof and contribute to a more energy efficient country.
You can read the Guidance here.
At the same time, the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero has also promised to make so-called plug-in solar panels available in British shops ‘within months’. The move is partly in response to rising concerns over the impact of the Iran war on oil and gas, and therefore also energy prices, across the world. However, the rollout of this easy-to-install renewable infrastructure also marks a continuation of legacy promises to bring the price of domestic renewable transition down.
Retailers including Lidl and Amazon, working with manufacturers such as EcoFlow, will soon be able to sell plug-in solar devices to British consumers. The technology is already in use across Europe, with around 500,000 devices being bought and used in Germany alone each year.
Once the equipment is owned, it can produce free electricity which is tapped through a simple mains power socket. This makes the process significantly cheaper than installing a full rooftop solar array or using traditional electricity supplied through the grid. When used within a building which is Future Homes compliant, a household could cut up to £830 per year from their energy bill compared to a property with an EPC rating of C.
‘Building 1.5 million new homes also means building high-quality homes that are cheaper to run and warmer to live in,’ said Housing Secretary Steve Reed.’As we make the switch to clean, homegrown energy, today’s standard is what the future of housing can and should look like. Not only will these changes protect hardworking families from shocks abroad but will also slash hundreds of pounds off their energy bills every year.’
However, critics have pointed to the slow rollout of the Future Homes Standard and lengthy consultation process. Developers will still be able to build homes which do not comply until 2028. ‘One of the very first things you do to solve a problem is to stop making it worse. Thankfully, that is exactly what the Government has done with the publication of these new standards,’ said UK100 chief executive, Christopher Hammond.
‘New build housing can finally be built with affordable energy running costs for the lifetime of the property — and in an uncertain world, that energy security matters more than ever,’ he continued. ‘But let’s be honest: 2028 is later than it should be. Every year of delay is another year of homes built to standards we’ll regret. UK100 and our local authority members have long argued that locking in common sense standards and future-proof technology is what consumers and communities want. This is a vindication of that. A ten-year policy gap has finally been filled. Now we need the government to hold the line.’
Image: Ian / Unsplash
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