Future Homes Standard and building automation.
The Future Homes Standard changes how new homes in England are designed around energy efficiency, low carbon heating, renewable electricity, controls, commissioning and homeowner information. This page explains where a coordinated Loxone control layer can help—and where it does not replace the compliance process.
The official position at a glance.
The Future Homes and Buildings Standards were published by government on 24 March 2026 and apply in England.
This is a practical integration guide, not legal or building control advice. Project teams should check the current regulations, Approved Documents and transitional rules for each building.
What the standard changes.
The amendments are intended to create new homes and commercial or other non residential buildings with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency, so they can become zero carbon in use as the electricity grid decarbonises without requiring later retrofit.
New homes
- Higher energy performance requirements
- Low carbon heating within the notional dwelling approach
- A new functional requirement for onsite renewable electricity generation
- Updated requirements around ventilation, commissioning and homeowner information
Controls + commissioning
- Updated guidance on minimum building services efficiencies and controls
- Specific attention to heat pump controls and operational information
- Clearer commissioning expectations for fixed building services
- Home User Guide information in an appropriate format
Automation is not mandated.
The Future Homes Standard does not require a smart home platform, Loxone or a particular brand of building automation. The case for automation is operational: the required and commonly specified technologies can work more effectively when their controls, priorities and resident interface are deliberately coordinated.
What automation can do
Coordinate schedules, temperatures, available generation, controllable loads, occupancy and user overrides across suitable systems.
What automation cannot do
Turn an unsuitable building design into a compliant one, replace competent design and commissioning, or guarantee modelled or real world savings.
Where Loxone fits
As a local control and integration layer between the resident, building services equipment and agreed energy strategy.
Systems that need a coordinated control strategy.
Heat pump
Room demand, weather compensation, hot water, setbacks and manufacturer control boundaries need to be agreed rather than layered blindly.
Solar PV
Generation data can inform decisions about hot water, batteries, EV charging and other flexible loads where interfaces allow.
Battery storage
Charge and discharge priorities should align with tariffs, generation, household loads and manufacturer safeguards.
EV charging
Charging can be coordinated around supply limits, resident requirements, tariff windows and solar surplus where supported.
Ventilation
Ventilation remains a specialist life safety and building performance system. Integration should respect commissioned airflow and manufacturer controls.
Shading + comfort
External conditions, solar gain, glare and internal temperature can be used to reduce avoidable overheating before active cooling is requested.
Why controls should be designed at concept stage.
The control strategy has physical consequences. Leaving it until fit out can produce additional gateways, duplicated sensors, unsuitable plant interfaces, missing cabling and unclear responsibility.
Decisions to make early
- Which system owns room temperature and heat demand
- What data and commands each plant item exposes
- Where metering, panels, network points and control cabling are required
- What the resident sees and how manual control works
Information to request
- Heat pump and ventilation control schematics
- Inverter, battery and EV charger interface documentation
- Electrical load schedules and supply constraints
- House type drawings, room data and intended upgrade packages
Compliance remains a project team responsibility.
Inteto can design and deliver the Loxone integration layer, but we do not replace the energy assessor, MEP designer, specialist installers, building control body or manufacturers’ commissioning requirements.
- Interfaces and control sequences are confirmed against actual equipment
- Safe fallback behaviour is documented
- Manufacturer controls and warranties are respected
- Performance claims are not made without evidence specific to the project
Future Homes Standard questions.
Does the Future Homes Standard require home automation?
No. The regulations set building performance and service requirements. Automation is a design choice that can help suitable systems operate as one coordinated building.
When does the Future Homes Standard come into force?
For most standard risk work in England, the amendments come into force on 24 March 2027, with separate arrangements for higher risk building work and transitional provisions.
Does Loxone prove compliance?
No. Compliance is demonstrated through the applicable Building Regulations process and calculation methodology. Loxone may form part of the controls strategy, but it is not a compliance certificate or energy assessor.
Can Loxone integrate heat pumps, solar, batteries and EV chargers?
Often, but the exact capability depends on the make, model, available interface and manufacturer requirements. Interfaces are confirmed during design.
Official sources.
For the definitive position, use the current government publications and statutory guidance.
- Future Homes and Buildings Standards: Building Circular 01/2026
- Approved Document L (2026)
- Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2026
Page reviewed 2 August 2026. External guidance and transitional arrangements may change; verify the position for the specific project.
Need an integration strategy for a new build scheme?
We can review the proposed heat pump, ventilation, solar, battery, EV and controls packages and identify where a Loxone platform could simplify operation and handover.