Why Underfloor Heating is Key to the Future of Housebuilding 

As countries around the world look to reduce their carbon emissions in an effort to combat the effects of climate change on our environment, one of main areas of focus is how to improve the heating methods for the next generation of homes. In this guide, we’ll explore how research has shown that underfloor heating systems offer a cleaner, more sustainable future for all of us. You’ll learn more about: 

• What the UK’s Future Home Standard means for housebuilding projects 
• The significance of heating systems on global carbon emissions 
• How floor heating helps to improve a home’s energy performance 
• The current research into the most sustainable heating options for your home 
• How Warmup are writing the future of domestic heating 

What is the Future Homes Standard? 

In 2019, the UK became the first major country to set a Net Zero target for carbon emissions by 2050, with an aim to reduce current emissions by 78% by 2035. As part of this, the UK government has begun to enact legislation and provide guidelines for industries to move away from the use of fossil fuels to generate power, heat our homes and power our vehicles and instead utilise greener, cleaner energy solutions. 

The Future Homes Standard is a set of building regulations that instruct how housing in the UK should be built moving forward, taking into account these ideals of a zero-carbon future. Coming into effect in 2025, the guidelines place importance on sustainable building materials, high levels of insulation, good quality glazing, Demand Shift energy usage and perhaps most critically, renewables-based heating solutions. 

What impact does domestic heating have on carbon emissions?  

According to research published by the British government, “the heating sector in the UK accounts for almost one third of the UK’s annual carbon footprint. In 2019, 17% of heating emissions from buildings came from homes”. This means that the carbon emissions of the domestic heat sector are equivalent to the emissions produced by all of the country’s petrol and diesel cars. 

Traditional central heating systems connected to a gas-fed boiler release significant levels of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere so if we are to lessen the impact of the climate crisis on our planet, we must improve the methods of heating our homes.  

Can underfloor heating assist in reducing the carbon footprint of a property? 

Floor heating is a more energy-efficient heating system than traditional radiators and a Warmup system installed with low carbon emitting heat sources such as heat pumps or solar PV systems will dramatically reduce a home’s carbon emissions.   

Our range of water underfloor heating systems operate at lower temperatures than radiator-based systems and are ideal to use with ground or air-source heat pumps. Heat pumps convert natural heat from the environment into energy to heat a home and specifying a heat pump with Warmup floor heating in a home could lower its carbon emissions by nearly 1900 kgCO2/year compared to traditional heating methods. Discover more about the benefits of using floor heating with heat pumps in our expert guide.  

Electric floor heating facilitates 100% efficient direct electric heating, with no energy wastage. Some electric heaters are compatible with solar power too, offering zero-carbon, cost-free energy for a home.  

Using Warmup’s Smart Controls and support services can also assist in improving the energy performance of a home. Smartcare Efficiency is an advanced heating support service that helps to improve the energy performance of the end-user’s heating system. It allows direct access to our team of experts to provide energy-efficiency insights, helping to lower a property’s energy consumption, heating costs and carbon footprint. Using a complete Warmup system can reduce energy usage in a home by up to 35% compared to traditional heating solutions.  

With regards to Demand Shift energy plans, whereby the energy sector looks at ways of optimising peak and off-peak energy consumption, Warmup systems form a Distributed Energy System network of connected assets whilst our Smart controllers can allow users to take advantage of future ‘Time of Use’ tariffs; automatically calculating how to deliver the ideal heating schedule by utilising low cost, low carbon energy when it’s available. 

What research is being undertaken on the performance of floor heating? 

Significant research is being conducted into the enhanced efficiency of underfloor heating and its many benefits for the Future Homes Standard initiative.  

Warmup is a research-and-development led company and from our in-house EN442-2 Research Centre in Germany, we are continuously testing and developing new innovations in low carbon technologies. BEAMA, the UK’s leading trade association for energy infrastructure, has also conducted tests into the performance of Warmup underfloor heating within the University of Salford’s Energy House test facility. The testing was approved for inclusion within the Demonstration of Energy Efficiency Potential (DEEP) Retrofit Project by the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). These tests compared the thermal response of floor heating systems to radiators using an air source heat pump within the Energy House and showed that Warmup systems “continued to maintain the living room air temperature for 45 minutes longer than radiators”.  

Find out more about the UK’s Demonstration of Energy Efficiency Potential (DEEP).  

How Warmup are taking a global leadership role in improving the sustainability of housing 

As a trusted underfloor heating and Smart controls company based in the UK for over 30 years, Warmup are members of a technical committee advising the British government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities. This unique position allows Warmup to be at the forefront of the development of the Future Homes Standard and we’re committed to helping make Net Zero a reality for the UK.   

We are proud to be aligned with the SME Climate Hub global initiative and the United Nation’s Race to Zero campaign. For our work on corporate sustainability so far, we have been awarded a bronze medal sustainability rating from EcoVadis, putting us in the top 24% of the construction industry. And with over 2.5m kgCO2e saved through our innovative heating systems in 2024 alone, we are confident that underfloor heating is the future of domestic heating. 

Learn more about Warmup’s story. 

The benefits of working with Warmup on your housebuilding project   

We understand that navigating complex building regulations can be challenging, which is why we offer a range of innovative products and services to assist you in developing the next generation of sustainable homes.  

Working with Warmup allows you to stay ahead of the game and be prepared for the upcoming changes to building regulations such as the Future Homes Standard. Our team of experts can provide you with guidance and support throughout these processes. We can help you choose the right products and materials for your projects and ensure that they meet the necessary standards. We also understand that budget is of paramount importance when it comes to construction projects, so we offer cost-effective, energy-efficient heating solutions that can help you specify a dwelling that’s compliant with the new regulations without sacrificing space or quality. Working with Warmup means that you’ll be future-proofing your projects, ensuring that they remain sustainable and compliant for years to come. 

Get in touch with the Warmup Global Projects Division to discuss your upcoming project.