Does the Future Homes and Building Standard apply only to new homes?

The standard covers more than just residential properties. The Future Homes Standard (FHS) applies to new homes, while the Future Buildings Standard (FBS) applies to non-domestic buildings in England — both are designed to ensure high levels of energy efficiency and the use of low-carbon heating systems. 

All new residential and non-domestic buildings will be subject to a legal requirement for renewable electricity generation, including the installation of solar panels equivalent to 40% of each dwelling's or building's ground-floor area, with some exemptions for buildings over 18 metres in height.For non-domestic buildings, the Future Buildings Standard also proposes significant amounts of rooftop solar, which is expected to drive uptake across warehouses and commercial buildings. 

For non-domestic buildings, compliance continues to be assessed through the National Calculation Methodology (NCM), using either Dynamic Simulation Models (DSMs) or the Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM), rather than through HEM which is used for dwellings. The direction of travel is consistent across both sectors — low-carbon heat, improved fabric performance, and on-site renewables — but the specific technical requirements and compliance routes differ depending on building type.