The ‘2025: New Homes Without Gas’ guide from the NHBC Foundation explains the key technical issues and discusses the choices housebuilders, designers and architects face when specifying alternative heating and hot water systems
The new guide explores the implications of designing and building low-energy homes without gas boilers.
Current Government proposals indicate that from 2025, newly built homes will not be allowed to be heated with the use of fossil fuels under the ‘Future Homes Standard’.
The standard aims to reduce the energy use of new homes and marks the beginning of the end for the traditional gas boiler.
The guide outlines the technical elements for housebuilders to consider in designing and building ‘no gas’ homes, including what type of electric heat pump to install, the benefits of ‘heat networks’.
Ensuring the industry has a skilled workforce to install and deliver alternate systems to meet all the new demand and importantly, consideration of how to market homes to potential buyers that do not have a gas-powered boiler or a gas cooker.
According to recent figures, energy use in the UK’s 29 million homes accounts for 14% of total UK emissions and that increased between 2016 and 2017. To meet the proposed carbon and primary energy targets the 2025 home must be designed and built to have minimal energy demand.
To achieve energy targets the following elements should be considered:
- Minimal heat losses via the building fabric and air infiltration
- A high-efficiency heat recovery ventilation system
- Good heating controls
- LED fixed lighting
- A+ rated (or better) electrical appliances, where provided
- Photovoltaic panels, battery storage and/or solar hot water systems.
Richard Smith, NHBC’s head of standards, innovation and research, said: “Under the Government’s proposed ‘Future Homes Standard’ which will be introduced by 2025 new homes will no longer be able to be heated using fossil fuels.
“Our new NHBC Foundation guide provides housebuilders with a roadmap to achieving this standard and paves the way for the ‘no gas’ home.
“For both housebuilders and new home buyers, the ‘no gas’ home will represent a generational shift in how dwellings are heated.
“As Government targets on reducing carbon emissions come into effect and many people become more attuned to the green agenda, we will begin the shift away from the traditional gas boiler and gas cooking appliances.”
