‘Future Ready’: Meeting the Challenge of Regulation Compliance

The Future Homes Standard (FHS), which comes into effect in 2025, represents a further tightening of energy standards for new-build homes. The current legislation, introduced in 2022 as part of Building Regulations Part L amendments, requires a 31% carbon reduction in new dwellings compared to previous standards. The FHS goes several steps further, ensuring all new homes produce 75-80% less CO_2. 

Stricter energy standards are an absolute necessity if the UK is to achieve net zero but it presents a challenge to housebuilders, with property design, construction and renewable technologies being crucial to compliance. So, how does Clarendon Homes maintain its reputation for creating award-winning homes that are the height of style, luxury and sustainability?

Made in Kent

As a Kent-based housebuilder that is proud of its roots and aware of the emissions involved in transporting materials from places further afield, we aim to source everything we need from local merchants. This not only reduces our building carbon footprint; it provides greater assurance in terms of product availability, quality and boosts the county’s economy. In addition, we use local labour for all of our projects. Hence, our homes are truly ‘Made in Kent’ which means a lot to us, our customers and the environment.

Robust Performance

The high energy standards our homes achieve are not arrived at by accident. We work closely with SAP assessors and consultants to ensure targeted U-values are met for key structural elements such as floors, walls and roofs. In terms of thermal efficiencies and acoustic performance, we aim to go above and beyond current regulation requirements. For example, our use of timber frames in conjunction with Robust Details testing is key to our homes exceeding expected acoustic regulations by achieving configurations of +3db or +5db.

Remote Energy Control

The use of the very latest automation technology guarantees our homes display an all-round smart performance. Each of our properties is fitted with Lightwave, a smart device that requires a single laptop or phone to control heating and monitoring devices and lighting outputs. Lightwave gives users the power to switch their energy sources on and off or make adjustments even when they’re away from home. This remote access is an enabler to creating the ideal interior environment throughout the year and just importantly, improving energy efficiency.

Embracing Technology for Greater Sustainability

Sustainability is core to our culture. It’s also central to our delivery of high specification, energy efficient homes.  We are committed to responsibly sourced timber frame construction. We are also one of the few SME businesses to rely solely upon air source heat pumps. It’s why our carbon footprint has been in decline since 2017. Our ready embrace of renewable technology is in keeping with current Part L legislation which highlights the use of PV solar panels and air source pumps as important to meeting revised energy targets. Our commitment in this area has seen us established as a Business Solutions Partner with Mitsubishi Electric. It means we are recognised an approved and reliable installer of the company’s air source heat pumps.

With such detail and quality applied to the way our timber frame homes are built using locally-sourced materials and powered by remote-controlled, renewable technology, we welcome the coming of the Future Homes Standard. Because our homes are future ready.

Got any questions or feedback on the article? Or maybe a topic you would like to be covered in a future blog? Email caitlin.willis@clarendonhomes.co.uk today, I would love to hear from you!