Future homes need standards 

The Government is planning to introduce new building standards for homes built from 2025. Despite strong parliamentary and public support, recent Government statements have suggested that solar panels will not be included as a default requirement for all new homes under the standards. Failing to mandate solar PV for new homes would be a huge missed opportunity for lower energy bills and climate action. 

A recent report by The MCS Foundation’s found that installing solar panels on new homes would result in significant financial savings for households, with savings of over £1,000 a year for an average new-build semi-detached home. The savings are even greater when battery storage is added, with an extra £300 saved annually.  

The MCS Foundation is therefore calling for the Housing Minister to require a meaningful deployment of solar panels on the roof of all new homes. By mandating for smart homes in the Future Homes Standard, we would also be ensuring homes have lower energy bills and are able to sell excess energy back to the grid.  

Our most recent survey of MPs shows that almost eight in ten (79%) believe all new homes should be built with solar panels on their roofs, and more than three in five (61%) believe all new homes should have battery storage. Polling also shows that the vast majority (80%) of people in the UK believe solar panels should be mandatory on all new builds.  

It is vital that any renewables deployed in homes must be installed to the appropriate MCS standards. These standards are essential to ensuring consumer confidence in renewable technology.  

We also want the Government to make sure that no new home is connected to the gas grid after 2025.  Currently our homes account for around 17% of all UK carbon emissions and we need to install heat pumps now in place of gas, to provide clean, zero emissions heating to help decarbonise new homes.