Overview
- Britain’s Future Homes Standard, confirmed Tuesday, March 24, sets 2028 rules that push most new houses to include rooftop solar and clean heating such as heat pumps.
- Officials will change technical rules G98 and BS 7671 so households can plug sub‑800W solar kits into a standard wall socket without an electrician, with retailers like Lidl and Amazon preparing stock with EcoFlow within months.
- The government is drafting legislation to let suppliers offer cheaper power on very windy days in areas near wind farms, aiming to use surplus local wind rather than paying turbines to switch off, with Scotland and the East of England likely to benefit first.
- Ministers say new‑build buyers could save up to £830 a year compared with a typical EPC C home, while plug‑in kits costing about £400 are estimated to trim £70–£110 from annual bills by powering appliances before the meter draws from the grid.
- Energy firms and green groups welcomed the move as long‑term bill relief and greater energy security, the Daily Mail highlighted cost concerns, and trade bodies warned delivery will hinge on updating grid rules, boosting installer capacity and managing added build costs after a decade‑long pause in tougher standards.