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The Future Homes and Buildings Standards will introduce new minimum requirements for energy efficiency, low-carbon heating and renewable electricity in new homes and non-domestic buildings in England. For property professionals, the changes will affect the homes coming to market, the systems buyers and tenants need to understand, and the information agents may need to provide about heating, ventilation, solar panels and energy performance.
From 2031, privately rented non-domestic buildings over 1,000 sqm in England and Wales will be expected to meet EPC B, where it is cost-effective. Buildings below 1,000 sqm are expected to remain as the current minimum EPC E. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DENZ) has stated the changes will only take effect after Parliament has passed secondary legislation.
The Warm Homes Plan was published in January 2026 by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) as part of a £15billion investment in decarbonising English housing stock and tackling fuel poverty.
Money must be allocated in a practical, properly targeted, and flexible way to work across the country’s varied residential stock. Improving energy efficiency is vital, but it must be achieved in harmony with the protection of housing supply, support for responsible landlords, and warmer, more affordable homes for consumers.