" />The built environment is about to experience one of its most significant shifts in decades. With the Future Homes Standard set to take effect in 2025 and tightening HVAC regulations driving higher energy efficiency, the industry is heading into a period where compliance will not just be necessary, it will be a commercial differentiator.
And it is not happening in isolation. The Government’s ambitious new homes target, alongside recent Part O (overheating mitigation) and Part L (energy efficiency) changes to the Building Regulations, means marketers have a big job to do. They must help their organisations, and the wider sector, navigate these changes and play their part in the move to net zero and improved sustainability.
For marketing directors and marketing managers in the construction, built environment and HVAC sectors, this is more than an operational challenge. It is a rare chance to position your brand as a credible, trusted leader in sustainable building. If your organisation can show it understands the regulations, embraces the changes, and offers practical solutions, you can capture attention, win trust, and secure market share.
Understanding the Future Homes Standard and HVAC regs changes
Before you can turn regulation into marketing advantage, you need to understand what is coming.
The Future Homes Standard will apply to all new homes built in England from 2025. Its goal is to reduce carbon emissions from new dwellings by 75-80 per cent compared to current Building Regulations. This will be achieved through measures such as:
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Banning gas boilers in favour of low-carbon heating, like heat pumps
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Improving insulation and airtightness
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Integrating renewable energy solutions where possible
HVAC regulation changes will complement this shift. Expect tighter efficiency ratings, increased adoption of smart control systems, and a focus on low-carbon technologies across both residential and commercial properties.
When combined with Part O, which requires new homes to be designed to limit overheating, and Part L, which enforces higher energy performance standards, the result is a regulatory environment that demands innovation, collaboration and clear communication.
For marketers, knowing the detail is essential. You cannot convincingly position your business as a leader in this space without being fluent in both the technical requirements and the bigger-picture sustainability goals driving them.
Why this is a marketing moment, not just a compliance requirement
Large regulatory changes like these do not come around often. They create:
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A clear, time-bound narrative with Autumn 2025 on the horizon and Government housing targets pushing rapid change
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An information gap as many customers and stakeholders will be confused or overwhelmed by the details
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A values shift with sustainability now a central factor in brand reputation, tender success and customer choice
If your marketing can connect the dots between compliance, commercial benefit and environmental impact, you will not only educate your audience but also strengthen your organisation’s positioning.
Turning complex regulation into clear storytelling
Your first task as a marketing leader is translation. That means working closely with your technical, design and compliance teams to fully understand the implications of the changes, and then expressing them in simple, engaging ways.
Practical steps you can take as a business that works in a technical and highly regulated space:
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Create a “regulation decoded” content hub on your website, with explainer articles, short videos and FAQs that break down what the Future Homes Standard, Part O, Part L and HVAC regulations mean for different audience segments e.g. installers, specifiers and architects
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Produce sector-specific guides for housing developers, commercial landlords, facilities managers and installers
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Use plain English wherever possible and explain any unavoidable jargon
The key is to be seen as a brand that makes sense of complexity, not one that adds to the noise.
Becoming a trusted advisor in the built environment
When legislation changes, decision-makers look for partners who can guide them through uncertainty. If your organisation can take on that role, you gain both visibility and trust.
Here’s how you can establish trust and confidence as a marketer:
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Host live webinars with your engineers or compliance experts, allowing clients to ask questions in real time. this can double up as a focus group
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Publish whitepapers that not only outline the regulations but show how your solutions already meet or exceed them
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Offer practical tools like compliance checklists, cost-benefit calculators or “path to Net Zero” planning templates
If customers come to you first for clarity, they are far more likely to choose you when it comes time to act.
Aligning your brand with sustainability
The Future Homes Standard, Part O, Part L and HVAC changes are all part of the UK’s broader net zero ambition. Sustainability is becoming a core pillar of procurement decisions, media narratives and investor priorities. Marketers should embrace this shift, but avoid the trap of “greenwashing”.
Use these best practices for authentic marketing around net zero and sustainability topics to avoid greenwashing:
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Back up every claim with data. If you say a solution reduces emissions, quantify the saving. News media also like this type of evidence
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Tell real stories through case studies that show tangible results. People buy people.
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Show your internal commitment by highlighting improvements to your own operations, not just your products or services
Done well, this approach builds credibility and positions your organisation as part of the solution.
Planning campaigns around key compliance dates
The regulatory timeline is your campaign calendar. While we have been waiting some time for the FHS to come into practice, there are key dates that can be used to your advantage. Businesses will become increasingly focused on compliance as deadlines approach, so it makes sense to plan your marketing accordingly.
In the 12 months before the regulatory change, focus on education and awareness campaigns to help audiences understand the regulations and start considering solutions
As the regs get closer to being enforced, move into solution demonstration mode by showcasing projects, running trials and publishing proof-of-concept case studies
As they become imminent, drive urgency with “last chance to comply” messaging, targeted outreach and clear calls to action. By pacing your campaigns this way, you meet your audience at the right stage of their decision-making journey.
Using PR to lead the conversation
Regulatory change is a popular media topic. Both in the trade press and mainstream national news. With the right PR strategy, your brand can become a go-to voice for commentary, insight and case studies. However, this takes a considered strategy.
Tactics to consider to establish your build environment and construction brands as a leader:
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Proactive media pitching offering journalists expert analysis on what the regulations mean for the industry
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Thought leadership articles in trade publications sharing your perspective on how the built environment can adapt
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Rapid response statements when new announcements or policy clarifications are made. Otherwise known as newsjacking
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Collaborations with industry bodies to co-author reports or host panel discussions e.g. CIPHE, Federation of Master Builders
Done well, this builds visibility, authority and inbound enquiries.
How we elevated Polypipe Building Products as a future-focused industry leader
As part of our PR and marketing support for Polypipe Building Products, we organised and hosted a series of high-impact roundtables. At each of the three events, 12 senior figures from across the built environment, from architects and developers to housing association leaders, joined the discussion chaired by Anna Clarke of The Housing Forum. Together, they explored major issues including the government’s housing targets, the implications of regulation like the Future Homes Standard, Part O and Part L, and the sector’s roadmap to net zero.
The event not only positioned Polypipe at the centre of the sustainability debate, but also generated powerful, experience-led narratives from across the supply chain, from the need for prefabrication and modular design to bridge skills gaps, to the strategic choices around materials and embodied carbon.
By guiding this conversation, we helped ensure Polypipe wasn’t just responding to emerging policy, it was actively shaping the dialogue and raising its profile as a thought leader in sustainable building. it put its key people in the room with key sector decision makers.
Measuring HVAC PR and built environment marketing success
To ensure your efforts are delivering results, you need to track the right metrics. For campaigns linked to regulatory change, these might include:
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Website engagement with your regulation-related content hub
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Media coverage volume and quality in relevant publications
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Webinar attendance
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Lead generation and conversion rates linked to compliance-related campaigns
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Share of voice on key Future Homes Standard, Part O, Part L and HVAC regulation keywords
Tracking these will help you prove the commercial value of your marketing strategy and refine it over time. When you’re able to demonstrate what works, you can allocate more budget to the most effective activities.
Why the next two years will define your brand
The Future Homes Standard, Part O, Part L and upcoming HVAC regulations will reshape the built environment over the next few years. When combined with the Government’s housing targets, they form a legislative push that is both a challenge and an opportunity. For marketing directors and managers, this is a unique moment to step into a leadership role, not just within your organisation, but across the industry conversation.
By understanding the regulations, translating them into accessible stories, aligning with sustainability values and planning campaigns around key dates, you can turn what might seem like a compliance burden into a powerful driver of brand authority and commercial growth.
In 2025, some businesses will scramble to catch up. Others will already be seen as the experts who led the way. Which will you be?
To find out more about how Refresh can help you capitalise on your marketing strategy, contact us or call now.
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