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Judges, Bristol Property Awards 2025
A proactive Future Homes Standard assessment informed by SAP 10.3 modelling can mean the difference between a smooth transition to the 2027 regulations or facing unexpected, costly redesigns.
The Future Homes Standard (FHS) represents the most significant overhaul to Building Regulations in a decade. Coming into effect on the 24th of March 2027, the FHS mandates a 75-80% reduction in carbon emissions, effectively ending the use of traditional gas boilers in new dwellings and introducing strict new mandates for solar PV and low-carbon heating.
While the government finalises the framework for the new Home Energy Model (HEM), SAP 10.3 has been approved as the interim bridge tool to demonstrate compliance. Waiting until 2027 to understand the impact on your design portfolios and build costs introduces severe commercial risk – we offer advanced Future Homes Standard Modelling using SAP 10.3 to help you evaluate your standard house types right now.
We deliver high-quality, actionable reports that explore different specification routes, helping you find the most efficient balance between building fabric and technology to meet the new performance levels. Please see our FAQs below for more information.
Why work with us?
Experience
We don’t just provide a simple pass/fail result; our team understands the exact nuances of this transition because we’ve spent years modelling Part L specifications against targets to define the practical “performance gap”. This deep understanding is proven across active development portfolios – from stress-testing standard house types to eliminate localised compliance failures, to navigating complex layout constraints to secure solar PV roof-space exemptions under Part L.
Award-winning
Winner, Consultancy – 2025 Bristol Property Awards.
Winner, Supply Chain Partner of the Year – 2025 Unlock Net Zero Awards.
Winner, Retrofit Assessor of the Year – 2023 Retrofit Academy Awards.
Highly Commended, Employer of the Year – 2023 Retrofit Academy Awards
Speed
Our office-based technical team works hard to model and return reports rapidly.
We work on a two-week schedule, with the vast majority of our compliance reports delivered well within that window.
Pricing
Our rate card is reviewed regularly, so we’re confident you won’t find better value elsewhere. If you’ve found a lower quote for comparable work, let us know – we’ll match or beat it.
Support
Energy efficiency, decarbonisation and building regulation can be genuinely complex. We work hard to explain the Future Homes Standard and Home Energy Model in plain English, so you have the clear, actionable information you need to make the right decisions.
Get Your Future Homes Standard Modelling Quote Today
Looking for fast and reliable Future Homes Standard Modelling in Bristol or nationwide?
Contact us today for a free quote and to discuss your specific project requirements.
Understanding Future Homes Standard Modelling: Your Questions Answered
What actually is the Future Homes Standard?
The Future Homes Standard (FHS) is a government-mandated framework designed to ensure that all new-build homes from 2027 onwards are “zero-carbon ready”. It outlines strict updates to Building Regulations Part L (Energy Efficiency) and Part F (Ventilation), requiring a massive 75-80% reduction in carbon emissions compared to current standards. Dwellings built to this standard will not require any future retrofitting as the UK electricity grid decarbonises.
What does your FHS Modelling process involve?
Our service is designed to give you a clear, commercial roadmap well ahead of the 2027 transition. These standard deliverables are included in every project:
– Baseline Portfolio Gap Analysis: We evaluate your current house types against upcoming FHS targets to pinpoint exact performance gaps.
– Renewable Mandate Planning: We calculate your required solar PV footprints – which typically demand arrays equivalent to 40% of a dwelling’s ground floor area – and map out compliance paths.
– Heating & Ventilation Review: Technical guidance on transitioning to Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) and dMEV systems while meeting strict new Specific Fan Power (SFP) limits.
– Thermal Bridging & Window Assessments: Evaluating actual configuration-based window U-values and junction details to determine if your house types will require triple glazing to hit the strict 1.2 W/m²K notional target
When do the new regulations officially take effect?
The Future Homes Standard becomes law on 24 March 2027 for standard domestic dwellings. For projects classified as Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs), the implementation date is 24 September 2027. The FHS explicitly revokes older transitional arrangements from 2013 and 2021. This completely closes the historic loophole that allowed developers to build out large, multi-phase sites over many years using outdated energy standards. After the transition window closes, every single new plot must comply with modern rules.
What is the difference between SAP 10.3 and the Home Energy Model (HEM)?
SAP 10.3 is an interim update used to bridge the gap while the final infrastructure is completed. While legacy SAP relies on static monthly calculations, the upcoming Home Energy Model (HEM) utilises highly precise half-hourly simulation cycles. Crucially, HEM abandons standard “UK-average” climate assumptions in favour of 16 distinct geographical regional climate datasets. Because of this physics-based modelling, a house type that passes compliance in the South West might fail in the North East. Proactive modelling allows you to spot these regional compliance variations early.
How heavily will the FHS disrupt housebuilders already using heat pumps and high-performance fabric?
Our internal testing shows that while targets are significantly tougher – with a massive reduction in allowable regulated carbon emissions – housebuilders who already utilise high-performance fabric and heat pumps may only need slight adjustments to solar provision to comply. Modelling your house types now allows your commercial teams to lock in supply chains and adjust land viability appraisals with confidence rather than guessing.
Are gas boilers completely banned under the new standard?
While the regulation text does not contain a literal, explicit “ban” on gas technology, it reduces the allowable Dwelling Emission Rate (DER) so drastically that traditional fossil-fuel systems simply cannot pass compliance. Low-carbon heating systems – primarily Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) – will become the absolute default solution across the industry
Will the new standard force us to install solar panels on every home?
The baseline functional specification mandates on-site renewable electricity generation. However, under Section 5.7 of Approved Document L, if a plot physically lacks the roof area to hit the minimum target (due to orientation or shading constraints), developers can bypass the target by submitting maximum-fit design schematics to Building Control, provided the core building targets are still met. Our team can model these specific layouts to secure valid exemptions.
Will the new standard require me to use triple glazing?
The FHS introduces a huge shift in how window performance is assessed, moving to configuration-based U-value calculations (assessing the actual size and frame layout of the unit rather than a standardized reference size). Because of this increased mathematical accuracy, many glazed window and door configurations will likely require triple glazing to comfortably clear the strict 1.2 W/m² notional target. Proactive modelling allows us to find the most cost-effective balance between your building fabric and technology.
How are Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) changing?
Anticipated in the second half of 2027, EPCs will undergo a complete structural reform. They are moving away from a single A-G letter grade to a multi-metric system that independently rates Fabric (Heat Retention), Heat (System Efficiency), Smart (Readiness), and Cost (Running Costs).
Under these new rules, no home utilising a primary fossil-fuel space or water heating system will be allowed to score higher than a ‘C’ rating in the heat efficiency category. Regulations will also require a valid EPC at the exact point a property is marketed, rather than at the final point of sale or letting.
Need Future Homes Standard Modelling Services?
Our friendly team is ready to provide expert advice for your project. Whether you need a free consultation to discuss your options or a competitive quote for our modelling services, we are here to help.
