Thoughtful, fast-growing force in sustainable consultancy harnessing analytical theory to deliver multiple projects. Rightly gaining national recognition.
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 final Home Energy Model (HEM) software is still being finalised, the government has approved SAP 10.3 as the interim bridge tool to demonstrate compliance. At Building Energy Experts, we offer advanced FHS Modelling using SAP 10.3 to help you evaluate your standard house types today against both the Future Homes Standard and Part L 2026, ensuring you are fully prepared and costed for tomorrow.
Our Future Homes Standard Modelling includes:
- Baseline Gap Analysis: We evaluate your current specifications against the new targets to identify performance gaps.
- Renewable Mandate Planning: We help you navigate the new functional requirement for on-site renewable electricity, which typically requires solar panels equivalent to 40% of each dwelling’s ground floor area.
- Heating Strategy Review: Guidance on transitioning to Air Source Heat Pumps as the default solution, including the total removal of fossil fuel boilers from new dwellings.
- Window Performance Assessment: Evaluating how the move to configuration-based U-value calculations (actual size vs. standardised size) may drive a requirement for triple glazing to meet the 1.2 Uw notional value.
- EPC Reform Insight: Advice on how the upcoming 2027 EPC reforms – moving to a multi-rating system for Fabric, Heat, Smart and Cost – will impact your future stock performance.
Why do you need FHS Modelling now?
The FHS requires a fundamental shift in how homes are designed and built. Waiting until 2027 to understand the impact on your build costs is a significant commercial risk.
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.
Our expert sustainability consultants are a team of experienced, friendly, and knowledgeable professionals well-versed in building compliance. Get in touch today for a free consultation or competitive quote.
Why work with us?
Experience
Our sustainability consultants are working extensively with the SAP 10.3 bridge software, HEM test environments and Beta applications.
We understand the nuances of the transition, having successfully modelled Part L specifications against indicative FHS targets to understand the practical “performance gap”.
Quality
We don’t just provide a pass/fail result. 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.
Speed
Our office-based staff work hard to book all appointments as quickly as the delivery schedule allows.
We work on a two-week schedule, with the vast majority of our reports delivered well within that window.
Pricing
Our rate card prices for all services are reviewed regularly, so we’re confident that you won’t find a better service for a better price anywhere else.
If you think you’ve found one, we’ll either beat or match it.
Support
Navigating the complexity of FHS, SAP 10.3 and the Home Energy Model transition is challenging.
We’ve worked hard to explain a range of topics related to the Future Homes Standard in plain English to help non-experts get the information they need.
Get Your Future Homes Standard Quote Today
Contact us today for a free quote or to discuss your specific project requirements. We offer competitive rates and prioritise fast turnaround times for all our clients.
Surveying an active shopping centre is logistically complex, but Building Energy Experts handled it with precision. Their report cut through the environmental variables to provide a clear distinction between maintenance quick-wins, like resealing doors, and the capital investment needed for insulation. It provided the exact technical evidence required to inform our roadmap to an EPC B rating and justify the retrofit budget.
Philip Emsley, UEC Energy – Thermographic Survey
In delivery of the Warm Homes: Local Grant programme in Shropshire, Building Energy Experts (BEE) have acted as invaluable partners to the Council. Their expertise in reviewing installer designs and liaising with our consortium of local installers has ensured the technical compliance and appropriateness of measures installed under the scheme.
Merrick Rose, Affordable Warmth & Energy Efficiency Support Officer, Shropshire Council – WH:LG Retrofit Coordination
The Council’s goal was to find a critical friend that ensures best practice and full PAS2035 compliance under schemes it delivers – BEE have brought this in spades, accompanied with a professionalism and pragmatism that has been indispensable in navigating the nuances and complexities of local authority led, domestic retrofit schemes. I would highly recommend engaging with BEE to any council or social housing provider considering an independent retrofit coordination model.
This entry provides clear evidence across multiple projects where Building Energy Experts has successfully forged strong partnerships, driving innovation and delivering outstanding outcomes.
Judges, Unlock Net Zero Awards 2025
The organisation is more than a service provider; it is a trusted supply chain partner helping the built environment sector achieve real, measurable progress towards net zero by delivering tangible reductions in emissions, better energy performance and long-term cost savings. With a proven track record, cutting-edge technology and a sustainability-centred ethos, Building Energy Experts stands out as a transformative force in retrofit delivery.
I should like to say thank you so much to Rich and the team at Building Energy Experts for their efficiency and helpfulness in completing our commercial EPC survey in record time.
Margarita Hamilton, Walton Castle – Commercial EPC
Assessing a historic property like Walton Castle requires real expertise, and your team delivered exactly that. Not only did they complete this survey with a very quick turnaround but they went above and beyond by providing extra information and guidance which has been extremely helpful.
We are delighted with the final result and once again thank you from both myself and the team at Walton Castle.
What a great service you provided! As Self-Builders, with a great deal of red tape/bureaucracy to satisfy, you truly made this a real ‘value-add’ and reasonably priced exercise. We thought we were in reasonably good shape (having taken a lot of care and time on our build), but the checklist provided in advance of the test and the report post test, were really helpful in making improvements to the fabric of the building.
Tim Overton, Self-Builder – Air Tightness Test
Understanding Future Homes Standard Modelling: Your Questions Answered
The transition to the Future Homes Standard represents a significant shift in the regulatory landscape, and we understand that housebuilders and developers have questions about how these changes will impact their upcoming projects. From the introduction of the Home Energy Model (HEM) to the new mandates for solar PV and heat pumps, navigating the path to 2027 compliance requires clear, actionable information.
To help you stay ahead, we’ve compiled answers to the most common queries regarding the new standards, transitional arrangements, and the phased rollout of SAP 10.3 and HEM. If you have a specific question that isn’t covered below, please don’t hesitate to contact our technical team.
When does the Future Homes Standard officially come into force?
The regulations are set to take effect on the 24th of March 2027. For work relating to Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs), the implementation date is the 24th of September 2027.
What are the transitional arrangements for existing projects?
A 12-month transition period applies to non-HRB work. If a building control application is submitted before the 24th of March 2027, the project can proceed under the 2021 regulations, provided work commences on-site before the 24th of March 2028. After this date, all new dwellings must comply with the full Future Homes Standard.
Will I be required to install solar panels on every home?
The new functional requirement (L3) mandates on-site renewable electricity generation, which typically means installing solar PV equivalent to 40% of the dwelling’s ground floor area. However, exemptions apply to buildings over 18 metres in height, Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs), or sites where a minimum output of 720 kWh/year cannot be achieved.
Are gas boilers completely banned under the new standard?
While not an explicit “ban” on the technology itself, the FHS sets the carbon emission targets so low that fossil fuel boilers will no longer be a practical or compliant option for new homes. Low-carbon heating systems, primarily Air Source Heat Pumps, will become the default solution to meet the new performance targets.
What is the difference between SAP 10.3 and the Home Energy Model (HEM)?
SAP 10.3 is an interim update to the current methodology used to bridge the gap while the Home Energy Model (HEM) is finalised. While SAP uses monthly calculations, HEM uses hourly simulation cycles and requires significantly more granular data – such as pipe diameters and specific weather location files – to provide a more accurate “real-world” performance model.
How long will the “Dual Running” period last?
Once HEM is approved as a methodology (expected at least 3 months after the FHS launch), a dual-running period will exist where both SAP 10.3 and HEM are valid for calculating compliance. This period will run for a minimum of 24 months, after which HEM will become the sole compliance method.
Will the new standard require me to use triple glazing?
The FHS introduces a new way to calculate window U-values based on the actual size and configuration of the unit rather than a standard reference size. Because of this increased accuracy, many windows and glazed doors will likely require triple glazing to remain under the notional target value of 1.2 Uw.
How are Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) changing?
EPCs are expected to undergo significant reform in the second half of 2027. They will likely move away from a single A-G rating to a multi-metric system covering Fabric (Heat Retention), Heat (Heating Systems), Smart (Readiness) and Cost. Under these new rules, no home using a fossil fuel boiler will be able to score higher than a ‘C’ rating.
Secure your margins for 2027.
Contact us today to arrange a gap analysis on your standard house types and get a head start on the Future Homes Standard.
