In June 2019, one of the last acts of Prime Minister Theresa May, was to commit the UK to net zero emissions by 2050. This made the UK the first major economy and member of the G7 group to legislate for net zero carbon emissions and pass the target into law, but how do we stop this from being another 'Zero Carbon Homes' debacle? The reported cost of scrapping the Zero Carbon Homes by 2016 initiative is said to have cost the home owner an additional £2bn in wasted energy in the period 2016-20 not to mention the impact it had on the UK's carbon footprint. The vehicle in which are charged to deliver these targets is the Future Homes Standard (FHS).The FHS proposes that from 2025 all new homes will have world-leading levels of energy efficiency, in terms of performance, incorporating low-carbon heating systems and be totally detached from the gas network. As we prepare for this, the first stage of implementation will be the uplift to standards in Part F and Part L of the building regulations for new dwellings in England which are to come into effect later this year. Following the launch of MHCLG's first consultation, there is now the opportunity for review of the proposed changes, to look at what impact they will have on how we design and how industry can drive the change to ensure we get the Future Homes Standard right.
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