FHS delayed until “early 2026”

The publication of the Future Homes Standard (FHS) has been delayed until “early 2026”.

The government’s long-awaited response to the FHS consultation and final details of the Standard had been expected before the end of the year after various delays. But an update on the consultation page for the FHS states that the government will respond early next year.

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) said: “The continued delay, amongst other matters, will affect how home builders are able to forward plan for their three and five-year land supply, arrange and prepare energy strategies including network reinforcement along with affecting construction, commercial and technical specifications.

“HBF have reiterated the urgency to government for clarity and to provide confidence to industry.”

Under the Conservative government, the consultation on the FHS ran from November 13 2023 to March 27 2024.

The deadline of the consultation was extended by three weeks from March 6 2024 following concerns raised by the HBF and its members about the functionality of the Home Energy Model (HEM), the replacement to the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP).

The final FHS had originally been expected in December 2024, with the …