HUD Delays Enforcement of Stricter Residential Energy Standards

The National Association of Homebuilders said it will continue working to make sure the new building codes never go into effect.

Construction workers build a home at a new housing development on July 1, 2025, in Hercules, Calif. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced on Feb. 3 that it would delay compliance enforcement of new minimum energy efficiency standards adopted in 2021 for certain single- and multi-family housing programs.

The new standards—adopted under the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code—were set to become enforceable on May 28, 2026, but were pushed back until Dec. 31.