This guest article from Ben Hayden, European Electrical & Renewable Energy Consultant, explores heat pumps in new builds and what European contractors already know that UK builders need to learn…
The Future Homes Standard will require all new homes in England to produce 75 – 80% less carbon emissions than those built under current Building Regulations. In practice, that means one thing for builders and M&E contractors: heat pumps become the default heating system for every new-build project. Gas boilers in new homes are finished.
For an industry where gas combi boilers have been the standard specification for decades, this is not a minor adjustment. It changes plant room layouts, electrical supply requirements, radiator sizing, pipework design, and — critically — the skills your workforce needs.
I work across 24 European countries as an energy consultant. In several of those markets, this transition happened years ago. German, French, and Scandinavian builders have been installing heat pumps in new builds as standard practice since the early 2020s or earlier. The practical lessons they learned on site are directly relevant to UK contractors preparing for the Future Homes Standard.
GERMANY: THE GAS BAN IS ALREADY IN EFFECT
Germany’s Building Energy Act (Gebäudeenergiegesetz, or GEG), which took effect on 1 January 2024, requires that every newly installed heating system must be powered by at least 65% renewable energy. For new-build housing, this has effectively mandated heat pumps as the primary heating solution.
German housebuilders had a head start. Even before the GEG, the combination of strict energy performance requirements and generous KfW subsidies meant that heat pumps were already the majority choice in German new builds by 2022. According to BWP (the German Heat Pump Association), 356,000 heat pumps were sold in Germany in 2023 — a significant proportion going into new construction.
What UK builders can learn from the German experience
Electrical supply planning matters more than you expect: A typical air-source heat pump draws 3–6 kW. In a new-build context, that’s manageable — but it requires coordination with the DNO (distribution network operator) earlier in the project timeline than a gas boiler installation. German contractors learned quickly that electrical supply applications need to happen at foundation stage, not after the roof is on. UK builders should plan accordingly: engage the DNO at plot release, not at fit-out.
External unit placement is a design issue, not an afterthought: German local planning authorities impose noise limits on heat pump external units — typically 35 dB(A) at the nearest neighbouring boundary. This means the external unit position must be considered at the design stage, not left for the M&E contractor to figure out on site. Retro-fitting acoustic barriers after installation is expensive and often ineffective. UK builders should expect similar constraints under permitted development rules and building regulations.
Plant room sizing changes: Heat pump systems — particularly those with integrated hot water cylinders — have a larger physical footprint than a wall-mounted combi boiler. German new-build designs now routinely allocate 2–3 m² for a dedicated plant room or utility space, compared to the cupboard-sized spaces common in UK new builds designed around combi boilers. Getting this right at the architectural design stage avoids costly redesigns during construction.
FRANCE: INTEGRATED DESIGN FROM DAY ONE
France’s RE2020 building energy regulations, in effect since January 2022, set strict carbon thresholds for new construction that effectively mandate heat pumps or biomass heating in all new residential buildings. Gas heating in new homes has been prohibited in France since this date.
French housebuilders have now had over four years of experience building homes to these standards. The key lesson from France is about integrated design.
Fabric-first approach reduces heat pump sizing and cost: France’s RE2020 combines heating system requirements with strict thermal performance targets. French contractors have found that investing in better insulation and airtightness at the build stage significantly reduces the required heat pump capacity. A well-insulated new-build home in France typically needs a 4–6 kW heat pump rather than the 8–12 kW systems common in retrofit projects. Smaller heat pumps are cheaper, quieter, and easier to install.
For UK builders, the message is clear – the Future Homes Standard’s fabric performance requirements and heating system requirements are interdependent. Building to a higher fabric standard doesn’t just improve energy ratings — it directly reduces the heating system cost and complexity.
Underfloor heating has become standard: In French new builds, underfloor heating (UFH) is now the dominant distribution system, specified in the majority of heat pump projects. UFH operates at lower water temperatures (35–40°C compared to 55–70°C for radiators), which significantly improves heat pump efficiency. The coefficient of performance (COP) of a typical air-source heat pump increases by 15–25% when running at UFH temperatures versus radiator temperatures.
UK builders currently default to radiators in most new-build projects. Switching to UFH adds cost at the build stage — typically £20–£40 per m² — but the improved heat pump efficiency, lower running costs, and better comfort performance make it the more economical choice over the building’s lifecycle. French contractors now consider radiators with heat pumps as a suboptimal combination in new builds.
SCANDINAVIA: HEAT PUMPS ARE JUST NORMAL
In Norway, Sweden, and Finland, heat pumps have been the default heating system in new construction for over a decade. Norway alone has approximately 632 heat pumps per 1,000 households (EHPA data), with new-build penetration close to 100%.
The Scandinavian lesson for UK builders is less about specific technical practices and more about normalisation. In Scandinavian construction, a heat pump is not a special technology requiring specialist installers and separate procurement. It is a standard building service, specified, procured, and installed by the same M&E teams that handle ventilation, plumbing, and electrical work.
Training is embedded in standard trade qualifications: Scandinavian HVAC apprentices learn heat pump installation as part of their core curriculum, not as a separate specialist module. This means every qualified heating engineer entering the workforce can install, commission, and maintain heat pump systems. The UK’s current model — where heat pump installation requires separate MCS certification on top of existing trade qualifications — creates a bottleneck that Scandinavian countries avoided by integrating heat pump training into standard qualifications from the outset.
Supply chain maturity reduces cost: When heat pumps are standard specification, wholesale distributors stock them routinely, lead times are predictable, and pricing is competitive. The UK is not yet at this point — supply chain availability for heat pumps can still be inconsistent, and pricing reflects a market that is still scaling. As the Future Homes Standard drives volume, UK supply chains will mature, but builders should expect supply variability during the transition period and plan procurement timelines accordingly.
WHAT UK BUILDERS SHOULD DO NOW – LEARN FROM EUROPEAN COUNTERPARTS
The Future Homes Standard is coming. Builders who prepare now will have a competitive advantage over those who wait until the regulations force the change.
1. Upskill your M&E teams: Send heating engineers on heat pump training courses now, not when the first heat pump project lands. Manufacturer training programmes from Daikin, Vaillant, Mitsubishi, and others are available and typically take 2–5 days. The investment is minimal compared to the cost of subcontracting heat pump installation because your in-house team isn’t qualified.
2. Redesign standard house types: Update your standard designs to accommodate heat pump plant rooms (2–3 m² minimum), external unit positions that meet noise requirements, and underfloor heating distribution. Doing this once, properly, avoids redesigning every project individually.
3. Engage DNOs early: Electrical supply applications for heat pump-equipped developments need to happen at the earliest possible stage. Factor this into your project programme.
4. Specify fabric performance above minimum standards: Better insulation means smaller heat pumps, lower costs, and better performance. The upfront cost of exceeding minimum fabric standards is typically recovered through reduced heating system costs.
Europe’s builders have already made this transition. The practical challenges are real but manageable. The UK construction industry has the skills, the supply chain, and the regulatory framework to make it work — it just needs to start.
