Lotus Energy heat pump installer Richard Wilkins screws pipes onto a Vaillant aroTHERM plus heat pump being installed at a residential building in Farnham, Surrey, southwest of London, on June 2, 2025.
Justin Tallis | Afp | Getty Images
The British government introduced new rules on Tuesday requiring developers to install heat pumps and solar panels in all new homes across England. This is the latest response from policymakers to the economic fallout from the Iran conflict.
British ministers say the Iran war and the biggest supply disruption in oil market history reinforce the need to use clean electricity as an energy security tool.
The Future Homes Standard – a set of new build regulations for England from 2028 – will set requirements to ensure homes are built using on-site renewable electricity generation, the majority of which is expected to be provided by solar energy.
The rules also require homes to be built with low-carbon heating, such as heat pumps and heating networks.
The government added that plug-in solar panels that homeowners can install on balconies would be available in stores in the coming months.
“The Iran war has shown once again that our pursuit of clean energy is vital to our energy security, allowing us to escape the influence of fossil fuel markets that we do not control,” British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said in a statement.
“Whether through solar panels fitted as standard in new homes or the ability to buy plug-in solar in stores, we are committed to adopting clean electricity so we can bring energy sovereignty to our country,” he added.
Britain’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband arrives at Downing Street to attend a Cabinet meeting ahead of the announcement of the Spring Statement, March 3, 2026, in London.
Wiktor Szymanowicz | Future publishing | Getty Images
The guidelines were widely welcomed by energy industry players, while some activists called on the British government to go further to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.
“People want to avoid these fossil fuel crises – since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, interest in solar energy has increased by 50%, heat pumps and electric cars are also seeing an increase,” Greg Jackson, founder and CEO of Octopus Energy, said in a statement.
“Every solar panel, heat pump and battery reduces costs and strengthens Britain’s energy independence. And the government’s recent steps can help reduce the cost of electrification,” Jackson said.
Climate scientists have repeatedly warned that significant reductions in fossil fuel use will be necessary to curb global warming, with the burning of coal, oil and gas identified as the main cause of the climate crisis.
Energy security
The US-Israel-led war against Iran, which began on February 28, continues to disrupt oil production and transportation in the region, with traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz at a virtual standstill in recent weeks.
The Strait of Hormuz is an important narrow maritime corridor connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Typically, about 20% of the world’s oil and gas passes through them.
Meanwhile, opposition MPs called on the ruling centre-left Labor Party to focus on securing domestic energy supplies to reduce consumer bills amid the Iran war energy crisis.
In a post on social media, shadow energy minister Claire Coutinho of the centre-right Conservatives called on the government to grant licenses for new oil and gas fields in the North Sea.
The Middle East conflict is leading to sharp increases in fuel prices worldwide.
Slovenia, in turn, recently became the first member of the European Union to introduce fuel rationing to address supply disruptions.
Greece, meanwhile, has decided to cap profit margins on fuel and supermarket products for three months.
Analysts expect the fallout from the Iran war to accelerate the move away from fossil fuels as countries increasingly recognize renewable energy as a way to improve resilience, reduce pollution and mitigate geopolitical risks.
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