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 British solar company Gryd and law firm Shoosmiths co-hosted a private industry briefing on Monday 20 October, “Building for Tomorrow – Embracing the Future Homes Standard”.

The event brought together policy leaders and delivery experts from across housing, construction, and clean energy to discuss how the new standard will reshape the way homes are built and powered in the UK, and the solutions already being deployed.

The Future Homes Standard: the end of gas and a tipping point for scale

Speakers agreed the sector is entering “the end of the fossil fuel era of buildings”. While retrofits dominate public debate, new-build policy is the true market trigger. Once major developers adopt all-electric systems across thousands of plots, the market will rapidly mature – unlocking cost efficiencies, skills growth, and supply chain capacity.

This will see homes shift at scale from passive energy users to active micro-generators. The upcoming Home Energy Model (HEM), replacing the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), will drive better fabric efficiency and smarter, integrated design. Developers were urged to start thinking about the long term value of renewables rather than costs to be minimised in construction.

Homes as long-term energy assets

Speakers agreed that decentralised energy systems will turn homes into productive assets. With network costs increasingly shaping energy prices, households that generate and store energy can help balance the grid – and profit from it.

Different models were discussed: developers can choose to retain ownership of these assets for recurring revenue, or partner with companies like Gryd to provide funded systems at no hardware cost to the homeowner. Some argued that homeowners should own the assets in their homes because public support depends on people directly seeing value – the cheaper their bills, the stronger the backing for the energy transition.

“Homes are about to become valuable energy assets, not just bricks and mortar,” said Thomas Parsons, Commercial Director, Good Energy. “Developers can treat the Future Homes Standard as just a regulatory box to tick – but someone else is going to eat your lunch.”

What to lock now: design, hot water, and delivery

Speakers stressed that low‑intensity heat sources demand fabric‑first design and larger, correctly sized emitters. In modern homes, hot water energy demand is often on a par with space heating – so cylinder provision, storage, and controls matter. Developers should secure installer capacity early and ensure system integration between solar, heat pumps and storage.

Christopher Gaze, Future Homes Hub: “Design your fabric: mitigate against overheating, think about thermal bridging, achieve a good airtightness and ventilate appropriately.  Then make sure your space and hot water heating and renewables are designed as one simple system, always remembering to put the resident first.”

The Future Homes Standard requires end-to-end training

Speakers agreed the new standard will bring some new complexity but not necessarily added cost if the workforce is equipped. Training will be needed across every stage of delivery: from manufacturers and designers to installers, site managers and sales teams. Each must understand how renewable systems integrate and perform, while homeowners will also need simple guidance on using them effectively.

“The transition can’t happen without a skilled, informed workforce – from factory floor to front door,” said Jamie Bursnell, Head of Technical and Innovation, Bellway.

The power of a ‘sticky’ consumer story

Developers must build a close link between their technical and sales teams to create simple, compelling messages that focus on comfort, control and savings. Buyers don’t need to grasp every technical component – they need to trust that their developer does. When sales teams can explain how low-carbon features make a home warmer and cheaper to run, customers connect both emotionally and practically.

​​Sarah Turpin, Sales & Marketing Director, Elivia Homes, said: “Whether someone is buying a £300k or £3 million home, they want to know how these systems can help them save money. Developers shouldn’t be afraid to give them the brass tacks.”

Financial models that work for everyone

Speakers agreed that value for the customer must be the focus. Energy as a Service (EAAS) models, such as those offered by Gryd and Kensa, can remove upfront costs and stabilise bills, turning renewable tech into a clear selling point. Fixing or lowering energy bills for decades makes low-carbon homes both affordable and aspirational, while transferable leasing models help maintain value when properties change hands.

James Haikney, Principal Associate, Shoosmiths, said: “The energy transition increasingly calls upon other sectors and industries for support – and the impact can be mutually beneficial, helping to solve challenges such as grid connections and planning reform.”

The Future Homes Standard must be treated as the baseline

The FHS should be seen as a baseline, not the target. Regulation sets the minimum performance threshold, but competitive advantage will come from going further – larger solar arrays and smarter integration will result in stronger homeowner value propositions. Speakers noted that while solar adoption has risen, average system size has fallen – a missed opportunity for both emissions reduction and customer benefit.

Mohamed Gaafar, CEO & Co-Founder, Gryd, said: “The Future Homes Standard is just the baseline. To stand out, we need to go further and make the customer value proposition impossible to ignore.”

For more information, please contact press@gryd.energy