An air-source heat pump installed outside a new home

Policy · New Build

Future Homes Standard.

From 24 March 2027, every new home in England is built for low-carbon heating: a heat pump as default, mandatory solar, and tighter fabric. This page sets out what the standard requires, and why the emitter you specify matters more than ever.

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What it is

Low-carbon heating, now a dated requirement.

The Future Homes Standard is the 2026 update to Part L of the Building Regulations for England. Homes built to it are future-proofed for a decarbonised grid: no gas boilers, heat pumps as the default heat source, mandatory solar, and improved fabric.

It is no longer a forward-looking ambition but a confirmed, dated regulatory requirement. For a specifier, the practical consequence is simple: every emitter in every new home must deliver comfort at heat-pump flow temperatures.

At a glance

The Future Homes Standard was published in March 2026 and comes into force on 24 March 2027, delivered through amendments to Part L of the Building Regulations.
A 12-month transition runs to 24 March 2028: any project where construction commences after that date must comply.
The notional building assumes an air-source heat pump, so every new home must deliver comfort at heat-pump flow temperatures, typically 35–45°C.
Solar PV becomes a legal requirement, sized to around 40% of the dwelling’s ground-floor area where feasible.
Two calculation methodologies run in parallel: SAP 10.3 from launch, and the Home Energy Model (HEM), for a minimum 24-month dual-running period.
A full technical review of Approved Document O (overheating) is confirmed, which favours fast-responding, low-thermal-mass heating.
ThermaSkirt is designed for 35–45°C flow from day one, so it suits the heat-pump-led specification the standard creates.

Key dates

The timeline that matters

The transition window is shorter than many development pipelines. Specifications written now for projects landing in 2028 and beyond need to assume heat-pump-compatible emitters.

24 Mar 2026

Standard published

The Future Homes Standard (2026 Part L amendments) and Approved Documents were published, starting a 12-month countdown.

24 Mar 2027

In force (most buildings)

The new regulations and guidance apply to most new buildings from this date.

24 Sep 2027

In force (Higher-Risk Buildings)

Higher-Risk Buildings (18 m or more, or care homes and hospitals) follow six months later.

24 Mar 2028

Transition deadline

To build to the previous Part L, construction must have commenced by this date. Projects starting after must meet the Future Homes Standard.

The requirements

What the standard mandates

Heat pumps as default

The notional building assumes an air-source heat pump. Gas boilers will not meet the standard.

Mandatory solar PV

A new legal requirement: renewable generation equivalent to around 40% of the dwelling’s ground-floor area, where feasible.

Lower carbon & better fabric

New homes must produce at least 75% lower carbon emissions than the 2013 standard, with tighter fabric performance.

No fossil-fuel heating

Including temporary heating on heat-network sites; fossil-fuel systems cannot demonstrate compliance.

The headline facts

A dated, heat-pump-led standard for every new home.

24 Mar 2027Future Homes Standard in forceTransition to 24 Mar 2028

35–45°CHeat-pump flow temperatures new emitters must handleNotional building = heat pump

~40%Ground-floor area of mandatory solar PVNew legal requirement

≥75%Lower carbon than the 2013 standardRequired of every new home

For specifiers

What it means at the other end of the pipe

The standard assumes a heat pump, but it does not specify the emitter. At the 35–45°C flow temperatures a heat pump prefers, a conventional radiator delivers only about 30% of its rated output, which forces oversized panels and wall reinforcement.

ThermaSkirt is designed for these temperatures from the outset. Its lower characteristic exponent means it retains more output as the flow temperature falls, and it distributes that output around the room perimeter rather than from one oversized panel.

34%

ThermaSkirt BM3 at ΔT20

30%

Panel radiator at ΔT20

40%

Underfloor heating at ΔT20

Output retained at the ΔT20 heat-pump design point, from the EN 442 power law. See Product Data and Radiant Heat Science.

SAP 10.3 and HEM run in parallel

Compliance can be demonstrated using SAP 10.3 from launch, or the Home Energy Model (HEM), with a minimum 24-month dual-running period before HEM becomes the sole methodology. Both notional buildings assume a heat pump.

ThermaSkirt has performance data on the SAP side and an active application for explicit recognition in HEM. See the HEM & SAP page.

The Part O overheating review

A full technical review of Approved Document O (overheating) is confirmed. Overheating assessment favours systems that can stop adding heat quickly, which works against high-thermal-mass emitters.

ThermaSkirt's low water volume and low thermal mass let it heat and cool in minutes, supporting an overheating strategy. It contributes to compliance rather than guaranteeing it. See CIBSE Guidance.

Sources & basis

Policy facts, dates and requirements are from the UK Government's Future Homes and Buildings Standards publication and Part L 2026 Approved Documents (published March 2026), as summarised in DiscreteHeat's internal knowledge base. Output-retention figures are calculated from the BS EN 442 power law using EN 442-1 verified exponents. Recycled-content and embodied-carbon claims are covered, with their boundaries, on the Environmental Data page. ThermaSkirt supports compliance with the standard; the responsible designer makes each assessment. Last reviewed June 2026, maintained by DiscreteHeat Ltd.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know

When does the Future Homes Standard come into force?

It was published in March 2026 and comes into force on 24 March 2027 for most buildings, delivered through amendments to Part L of the Building Regulations for England. Higher-Risk Buildings follow on 24 September 2027. A 12-month transition runs to 24 March 2028: to build to the previous Part L, construction must have commenced by that date.

Does the Future Homes Standard ban gas boilers?

In effect, yes, for new homes. The notional building used for compliance assumes an air-source heat pump, and new homes must produce at least 75% lower carbon emissions than the 2013 standard, which a gas boiler cannot meet. Heat pumps are the default heat source, and fossil-fuel temporary heating cannot be used to demonstrate compliance on heat-network sites.

What does it mean for the emitters I specify?

Because the standard assumes a heat pump, every emitter must deliver the design heat output at heat-pump flow temperatures, typically 35–45°C. A conventional radiator retains only around 30% of its rated output at the ΔT20 design point, forcing oversized panels. ThermaSkirt is designed for these temperatures and retains more output (around 33–34% at ΔT20), distributed around the room perimeter.

Is it assessed with SAP or HEM?

Both, for a transition. SAP 10.3 is available from launch, and the Home Energy Model (HEM) runs alongside it for a minimum 24-month dual-running period before HEM becomes the sole methodology. ThermaSkirt has SAP performance data and an active application for explicit recognition in HEM.

Is solar PV really mandatory now?

Yes. The standard introduces a new functional requirement for on-site renewable electricity generation, with target coverage equivalent to around 40% of the dwelling’s ground-floor area where feasible, and flexibility where roof orientation or shading limits this.

How does ThermaSkirt help with a Future Homes Standard project?

It is built for the heat-pump flow temperatures the standard assumes, so it avoids the oversized radiators a low-flow system would otherwise need. It installs without screed for programme speed, supports the Part O overheating case through its low thermal mass, and uses recycled, recyclable aluminium with a verified EPD. ThermaSkirt supports compliance; the responsible designer makes each assessment.

Explore related Technical Data

How the standard is assessed, the compliance detail, and the output data behind low-flow performance.

Product Data

Profile specifications, EN 442 output tables and an interactive sizing calculator.

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BSRIA Thermal Comfort

CFD analysis of comfort and heat distribution versus panel radiators.

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HEM & SAP 10.2

How ThermaSkirt is modelled in SAP and HEM, and the case for HEM recognition.

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CIBSE Guidance

A compliance matrix across Part L, Part O/TM59, TM40, TM65, Part M and HBN 00-09.

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Radiant Heat Science

The physics of radiant perimeter heating, operative temperature and low-temperature output.

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Energy House 2.0 Report

University of Salford testing: ThermaSkirt the cheapest of seven heating systems on a heat pump.

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Environmental Data

The verified aluminium EPD: embodied carbon, recycled content and end-of-life recyclability.

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Water Treatment Protocol

pH, cleansing and inhibitor requirements that protect the aluminium emitter and the warranty.

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Specifying for the Future Homes Standard?

Our technical team can supply the output, comfort and energy-model data to support a heat-pump-led specification, from SAP 10.3 to HEM.

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