The Future Homes and Buildings Standards will start on 24 March 2027. That is the date in the government's consultation response, which says the amended Building Regulations and guidance "will come into force on 24 March 2027, subject to transitional provisions", followed by a 12-month transition for most building work in England. If you build, buy or specify new homes, the heating in them is about to change, and so is the paperwork you need to start a job.

The headline is simple enough. New homes built to the standard are meant to be "future-proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency". In practice that points firmly towards heat pumps. It does not mean every new home gets the same system, and the detail is worth reading before you plan a scheme.

What was confirmed, and when

The response was added to the consultation page on 24 March 2026. At the same time, regulations amending the Building Regulations 2010 were laid in Parliament and updated Approved Documents were published, which gives industry the full 12 months to prepare.

The transition works building by building. For work to be completed to the previous version of Part L, the relevant documents (initial notice, building notice or application with full plans) need to have been submitted by 24 March 2027, and construction needs to start by 24 March 2028. Higher-risk buildings follow their own route, with the regulations applying to that work from 24 September 2027.

Heating: what changes for new homes

The response document does not ban a boiler by name. It works through a notional building, a benchmark home that a design has to beat on emissions and primary energy. That benchmark includes a heat pump, and for the calculation method that cannot size one, the document sets the pump's coefficient of performance at 2.5. The government also says homes built this way will cost more to build than under current standards, in return for lower bills and carbon.

There is a quieter set of changes for installers. The updated guidance covers heat pump controls, fixing operational and maintenance information to heat pumps, and the point that installers should follow manufacturers' instructions and use competent person schemes. Homeowners get stronger Home User Guide requirements, because a heat pump is run differently to a gas boiler.

The standards also move comfort cooling. The government lowered the minimum seasonal energy efficiency ratio in the guidance to 4.6 after respondents said the proposed figure was unrealistic. That sits in the guidance on fixed building services, so it matters to anyone fitting cooling alongside heating.

Overheating: Approved Document O gets a full review

Approved Document O, the overheating requirement, is not changing on 24 March 2027, but it is under review. The response says: "The Government will proceed with a full technical review of Approved Document O." That review will look at the updated CIBSE TM59 for the dynamic method, improvements to the simplified method, and the noise and security guidance.

For cooling, that is the one to watch. As homes get better insulated and heated by heat pumps, the question of how they stay comfortable in a hot spell gets sharper. For the existing picture on cooling in UK homes, see our piece on how many UK homes have air conditioning.

What to do now

  • Developers: check where each building sits against the 24 March 2027 and 24 March 2028 dates, and decide which plots are being completed to the old Part L.
  • Self-builders: the transition applies per building, so confirm with your building control body which notice you will submit and when.
  • Buyers of new builds: ask which standard the home was built to and what heating it has, and expect to be given a Home User Guide for it.
  • Anyone weighing a heat pump against split AC for an existing home: our guide on heat pump or air conditioning sets out the difference.

This is a summary of the published response, not a design or compliance opinion. For wider coverage of rule changes, see our regulation and compliance news.