The Future of Home Heating: Understanding The Changes in 2025

2025 is the year that the Future Homes Standard (FHS) is introduced in the UK. This is a big step forward for the country to help meet its net zero goals over the coming decades.

The FHS focuses on new homes, but it’s important to be aware of the details even if you are a homeowner because it will have an impact on how you heat your home in the future.

In this guide, we take a detailed look at the biggest changes, what they mean for homeowners and how sustainable solutions like bioethanol fireplaces come into all this.

Future Homes Standard (FHS) Overview

The Future Homes Standard is a regulatory framework that aims to make homes more energy efficient. The first stage of the consultation took place in October 2019, and the full rollout is now beginning in 2025.

From this year onwards, new homes will have to be built under the standard. As a result, they will produce 75% fewer carbon emissions compared to previous regulations.

The UK has a commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and the FHS will play a large role in this.

Key Changes Introduced by the FHS

The Future Homes Standards 2025 will apply to the building of new homes. But what changes will it introduce?

Improved insulation in walls, roofs and floors to reduce heat loss is one of the most important changes, and the FHS will put a focus on high fabric standards to improve insulation in homes.

The use of triple-glazed windows instead of double-glazed will also play a role, although there is no current obligation to use them. Up to 25% of heat in a home is lost through the windows, so triple glazing can help to reduce heat transfer significantly.

There will also be a focus on introducing smart technology, like smart controls for heating, to optimise energy usage.

One of the biggest changes will impact the future of heating in homes. The focus will be on using renewable energy, sustainable heating solutions and better technologies.

Heat pumps, solar panels, hydrogen-ready boilers and other solutions will play a larger role. But what does this mean for gas boilers? Let’s take a closer look.

What’s Happening with Gas Boilers?

There has been a lot of discussion about gas boilers, and some controversy around whether they will be banned or not.

Traditional heating systems like gas are not great for the environment. However, gas boilers currently heat most homes in the UK. They rely on fossil fuels and contribute to carbon emissions, making them an unsustainable option. They are also becoming more expensive to run.

The FHS focuses on low-carbon solutions for heating homes, with the aim of building homes that are not reliant on fossil fuels. But does this mean gas boilers are being banned? Not yet.

The government did have a plan in place to ban the sale of gas boilers by 2035, but this has now been scrapped. At the moment, the FHS does not make it essential to replace gas boilers with more eco-friendly alternatives.

So, you won’t have to remove your gas boiler and replace it with a more eco-friendly alternative yet. However, new builds won’t be able to install them.

Key Alternatives to Consider

Seeing as gas heaters are being phased out, new homes will need low-carbon heating options.

Heat pumps are being seen as one of the best options. They are highly efficient and work by extracting heat from the ground or air to warm homes in a sustainable way.

These are used widely across Europe, and the hope is that they will also become more popular in the UK.

Solar power systems are another option. By installing solar panels on your roof, you can capture light from the sun and convert it into energy to use for heating your home. These can be very effective, but it depends partly on the weather and your location.

Other alternatives could include hydrogen boilers and biomass boilers, both of which are expected to become popular alternatives to gas in the near future.

Does the FHS Impact Existing Homeowners?

The FHS is focused on new builds, but it is part of a bigger scheme to reduce carbon emissions across the UK.

So while you won’t have to make any immediate changes to your property, like installing new heating systems, it could be a good time to consider how you can make improvements to your property.

Changing how you heat your home has many benefits. While getting more of your energy from renewable resources can reduce your environmental impact on the planet, it can also reduce your energy bills. 

Making changes now, even if you don’t have to, can help you to future-proof your home. Even if you’re not planning to sell your home now, you may want to in a few years. Having a heat pump already installed could be a good selling point.

Also, if you build an extension or you are planning to make some significant upgrades to your property, you might have to meet the new standards.

What About Fireplaces?

The FHS makes no specific mention of fireplaces. These days, fireplaces are no longer the main means of heating a property, but they are still very popular in homes.

They can help to heat a room, and they are popular for their aesthetic qualities too by improving the overall look and feel of the room and making it cosier and more welcoming.

With the new standards in mind, now might be a good time to consider getting a more eco-friendly fireplace in your home.

Instead of burning gas, coal or wood, which leads to air pollution, you might want an electric fireplace, which can be a good option if you are using green electricity. However, if you still get your electricity from fossil fuels, this isn’t ideal.

Bioethanol fireplaces are a popular choice if you want something more sustainable. Bioethanol often comes from plants, and it provides you with a clean and sustainable way to enjoy a fireplace in your home.

It burns with a real flame, and fireplaces are available in a wide range of designs, from traditional to modern. You can even accessorise your biofire with ceramic pebbles, ceramic logs, or even a dummy flue.

One additional benefit is that these fireplaces are incredibly easy to install. Because the emissions are so low, there is no need to install a flue or chimney, so you can use them even in a small flat.

You won’t be using a bioethanol fireplace as your main heating system, but it could certainly complement it and provide supplemental heating so you can turn down your heating and burn less fuel.

As such, a bioethanol fireplace can play a role in helping you to enjoy a low-carbon lifestyle and reduce your carbon footprint even further. This aligns with the focus on sustainability that the FHS is introducing.

Make Sustainable Changes in Your Home

As climate change becomes a bigger problem, governments around the world are looking for solutions to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and cut emissions. The FHS is a big step in the right direction for the UK.

Even if you don’t need to make any immediate changes, this could be a great opportunity to look at your current situation and upgrade your home to make it more sustainable.

This could involve replacing your gas boiler with a more sustainable alternative, taking steps to improve your insulation or getting an eco-friendly fireplace like a bioethanol fireplace.

Sustainable heating solutions are the future of heating and will only become more commonplace over the coming years. So make 2025 the year where you create a more energy-efficient home and enjoy a more sustainable future.