The biggest heating story this week: the Future Homes Standard is now “real”
On 24 March 2026, the Government published Building Circular 01/2026 on GOV.UK confirming the Future Homes Standard (FHS) in England. The headline is straightforward: from 24 March 2027, new dwellings will be required to use low‑carbon heating, alongside updated energy efficiency requirements (linked to Part L and the broader Future Homes and Buildings Standards programme).
That might sound like something that only matters to developers. In practice, it changes the direction of travel for everyone who owns a home—because once new builds standardise low‑carbon heat, supply chains, installer capacity, grid planning, local planning expectations and property market “norms” all shift around it.
For homeowners in Bordon, Whitehill, Liphook, Alton, Farnham and Haslemere, this announcement is the clearest signal yet that heat pumps (and the efficiency measures that make them work well) are becoming the default option rather than a specialist upgrade.
What exactly happened (and what the 2027 date really means)
The Government has now published the FHS details and the transition date: new homes built under the relevant building control applications from 24 March 2027 must meet the new standard. The FHS’s core intent is to ensure new dwellings are built to run on low‑carbon heat with higher fabric performance (insulation, airtightness, glazing), assessed through updated compliance tools and regulations.
Two important points for homeowners:
- This is about new dwellings first, but it affects the whole market. When new builds move away from gas boilers by default, manufacturers, merchants, training providers and installers follow the volume.
- The industry has a defined runway. A fixed date forces planning: housebuilders will lock in specifications, local authorities will align expectations, and the installation workforce will be pushed to scale up.
Why it matters if you’re not moving into a new build
Most homes in East Hampshire and West Surrey—whether that’s a Victorian terrace in Farnham, a 1930s semi in Alton, or a mixed‑age housing stock across Bordon and Whitehill—aren’t being rebuilt from scratch. So why should you care?
Because policy for new homes sets the “reference point” for what a good heating system looks like. Over the next few years, that tends to ripple into:
- Property expectations: buyers begin to compare running costs and EPC ratings against newer stock.
- Installer availability: more engineers train on heat pumps; boiler‑only expertise becomes less common.
- Parts and servicing pathways: merchants stock what’s moving; manufacturers prioritise where the demand is.
- Local network and planning decisions: electricity network upgrades, noise considerations and siting rules become more standardised.
In other words: even if you keep a gas boiler for years, you’ll live in a world increasingly designed around low‑temperature heating.
What it means technically (plain English): low‑carbon heating changes how your home is designed
The FHS is essentially saying: new homes must be built so that low‑carbon heating is not an “add‑on”, but a natural fit. Technically, that revolves around three big shifts.
1) Moving from high‑temperature to low‑temperature heating
Most gas boilers happily deliver radiator water at 65–75°C (sometimes higher). Heat pumps are most efficient when they can run lower, often around 35–55°C depending on design. That means new homes will be built with:
- Better insulation and airtightness so the home needs less heat overall.
- Larger radiators or underfloor heating so they can deliver enough warmth at lower temperatures.
- Thoughtful controls that favour steady temperatures rather than quick “blast heat” cycles.
For existing homes in Haslemere or Liphook, the lesson is simple: if you ever plan to go low‑carbon, the work is usually as much about heat emitters and insulation as it is about the heat pump itself.
2) Ventilation becomes part of heating performance
As homes get more airtight, you can’t rely on random draughts for fresh air. New builds increasingly use continuous mechanical extract or MVHR (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery).
Why that matters: ventilation affects humidity, condensation risk, indoor air quality and how evenly heat is distributed. In older properties—particularly solid wall homes or retrofits—airtightness without proper ventilation can cause mould issues. The FHS pushes the industry toward a “whole‑home” mindset rather than just swapping a heat source.
3) Hot water planning becomes more deliberate
Many low‑carbon systems use a hot water cylinder (even where a combi boiler would normally be fitted). That impacts:
- Space planning (airing cupboard, utility space, loft suitability).
- Recovery times (how quickly the system reheats hot water).
- Controls and scheduling to make the most of off‑peak or solar generation.
That design approach will become normal in new builds—and it will influence expectations when homeowners compare heating options during renovations.
What it means financially: running costs, installation costs, and “futureproofing”
There are two separate money conversations: upfront cost and ongoing cost.
Upfront costs: new builds vs retrofits
In new homes, low‑carbon heating is cheaper to deliver than in existing homes because the house is designed for it: pipe runs are planned, cylinders have a space, radiators are sized correctly, and insulation targets are built in.
Retrofits—common across Alton, Farnham and the villages around Whitehill—can cost more because you may need some combination of:
- radiator upgrades
- pipework improvements
- cylinder installation
- electrical upgrades (dedicated supply, consumer unit capacity, isolators)
- fabric improvements (loft insulation, cavity fill where appropriate, draughtproofing)
The FHS won’t change retrofit costs overnight, but it will accelerate standardisation—more trained installers and more consistent specifications generally bring costs down over time.
Ongoing costs: efficiency matters more than the badge on the unit
A heat pump’s running cost is heavily driven by system design and the property’s heat loss. In plain English: the better insulated the home and the lower the flow temperature, the less electricity it needs.
For a well‑prepared home, a heat pump can be very economical; for a draughty home with undersized radiators, it can feel disappointing. That’s why the FHS pairing of low‑carbon heat with tighter energy rules is key—it’s aiming to make heat pumps perform as intended by default.
Property value and saleability: EPC pressure doesn’t disappear
Even when regulations apply to new builds first, the market tends to drag existing homes along. Buyers increasingly ask:
- What’s the EPC rating?
- What are annual energy bills?
- Is the heating “modern” and maintainable?
If you’re in a commuter corridor location like Farnham or Haslemere, where buyers often compare across a wide area, newer-build benchmarks can influence what “good” looks like. Futureproofing isn’t only about carbon—it can be about protecting desirability and avoiding rushed upgrades later.
What it means locally: East Hampshire and West Surrey realities
National standards land differently depending on local housing types and infrastructure. In our patch, there are a few practical considerations homeowners should be aware of.
Housing stock variety (and what it means for upgrades)
Bordon and Whitehill have seen significant development and regeneration, meaning a mix of newer stock (often already better insulated) and older homes. Liphook, Haslemere and parts of Farnham include a higher proportion of character properties where insulation and emitter upgrades need a more tailored approach.
That affects which pathway makes sense:
- Newer homes may be “heat‑pump ready” with minimal radiator changes.
- Older homes may benefit most from staged improvements: insulation first, then heating.
Electricity network considerations
Heat pumps increase electrical demand at the property level. That doesn’t mean the local grid can’t cope—but it does mean that as uptake grows, distribution network operators plan upgrades. The more predictable and standardised installations become, the smoother this transition tends to be.
Practically for homeowners: if you’re planning major electrical work or a consumer unit upgrade in Alton or Liphook, it’s worth considering future loads (heat pump, EV charger, induction hob, solar/battery). One coordinated plan is usually cheaper than piecemeal work.
Noise, siting and neighbour relations
Air source heat pumps (ASHPs) have outdoor fans. Modern units can be very quiet, but correct siting matters—especially in tighter plots or where boundaries are close, which you’ll see in parts of Farnham and established estates around Whitehill. Good design focuses on:
- placing the unit away from bedroom windows (yours and your neighbour’s)
- avoiding echo chambers (narrow passages, enclosed courtyards)
- vibration isolation and solid mounting
As new builds adopt heat pumps in volume from 2027, local familiarity increases—and so does the expectation that installations are done neatly and considerately.
What homeowners should do next (practical, no panic)
This isn’t a signal that you must replace your boiler tomorrow. It is a signal to make your next heating decision with a clearer view of where the rules and the market are going.
If your boiler is healthy: optimise what you have
- Turn down boiler flow temperature if it’s currently set high. Many condensing boilers run more efficiently at lower flow temps (often if radiators are adequate). This also tells you how “low temperature friendly” your home is.
- Improve controls: a properly set room thermostat, weather compensation (where compatible), and thermostatic radiator valves balanced correctly can cut waste without sacrificing comfort.
- Get the system balanced: uneven radiators are usually a setup issue, not a “bad boiler”.
If your boiler is ageing (or you’re renovating): plan for low-temperature heat
If you’re already spending money—kitchen extension in Haslemere, loft conversion in Liphook, refurbishment in Farnham—that’s the best time to make the house more compatible with a future heat pump:
- Insulate while you have access: loft insulation, floor insulation where practical, and targeted draughtproofing.
- Size radiators for lower flow temperatures when replacing them anyway.
- Make space for a cylinder (even if you don’t install one yet). In many homes, this is the deciding practical constraint.
- Check your electrics: not every home needs an upgrade, but it’s far easier to plan it than to discover limitations mid‑project.
If you’re considering a heat pump: focus on design, not just the unit
The success of a heat pump is 80% preparation and design. Before committing, you want clarity on:
- your home’s heat loss (room-by-room, not a guess)
- radiator/underfloor suitability at target flow temperatures
- hot water demand and cylinder sizing
- where the outdoor unit can sit sensibly
- how controls will be set up for steady comfort
If you get those right, low‑carbon heating stops being a “leap” and becomes a straightforward upgrade path.
Why this policy shift is a useful moment to act
Homeowners often wait for the “perfect time” to make heating changes. The FHS publication is valuable because it removes ambiguity: the direction is set, the date is set, and the industry will now move to meet it.
For our local area—whether you’re in Bordon and watching new development nearby, in Whitehill thinking about modernising, or in Alton, Farnham or Haslemere weighing up renovation decisions—this is the moment to think in stages. You don’t have to do everything at once, but you can make each change (controls, radiators, insulation, electrics) point toward a low‑temperature future rather than locking in a dead end.
Need a practical plan for your home?
To book a local heating assessment with Embassy Gas, call (01420) 558993, email helpdesk@embassygas.com or book online at https://www.embassygas.com/book.