Dual Methodology for Future Homes Standard Compliance

On 14^th May the government has confirmed that we will be receiving a new version of SAP, SAP10.3 will be introduced to accompany HEM as part of a phased approach to achieving compliance with the Future Homes Standard (FHS).

Original proposals were to retire SAP completely and introduce HEM as the sole compliance engine for achieving compliance, however following discussions with both the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) the government has opted for an approach that supports a smoother implementation of FHS.

In short, this means both SAP 10.3 and HEM can both be used during a phased transition. The timelines will become clearer once the Future Homes Standard regulations are laid before Parliament.

We understand from discussions that Elmhurst’s Design SAP 10 software will soon be updated to support assessments under both Part L 2021 and the Future Homes Standard meaning initial sampling and trialling of the software, requirements and compliance options can take place.

Any future updates on this will be shared as soon as possible.