Futurebuild 2025: the ETL’s highlights

Our team exhibited at Futurebuild, returning with lots of exciting insights

The ETL team returned to Futurebuild for the third year running in March. The event, which covers the latest innovations in the world of sustainable building, took place from March 4 to 6 2025, with over 18,000 attendees heading along in its 20th anniversary year.  

Futurebuild is a must-attend on the ETL’s calendar for good reason. With the theme of ‘Impact’, this year’s event saw over 400 brands and 257 exhibitors convening at London’s ExCeL.   

Exhibiting with an ETL stand, it was a great chance for our team to network with industry professionals, manufacturers, purchasers, specifiers and architects, to hear their insights from the day for a new video that will be launching soon. We took the opportunity to spread the word about the benefits of the scheme, as well as learning about the future of technology in the built environment.   

There were 550 speakers offering unique perspectives and viewpoints on sustainability at the event, including MP Miatta Fahnbulleh, the Minister for Energy Consumers, Professor Saul Humphrey, the Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Builders, and Julie Godefroy, Head of Net Zero at the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.   

Knowledge the ETL team gained at Futurebuild 

Tom Lock, Consulting Director at ICF, and Programme Director for the ETL scheme, commented on how busy the ETL stand was. ‘It was great to engage with so many Futurebuild attendees,’ Tom said. ‘I was particularly pleased to make new specifier and purchaser contacts who were keen to use the ETL, as well as to speak with architects and designers about how the ETL could potentially achieve their goals in the future.’  

The ETL team spoke with manufacturers who were interested in listing their products on our database, one of the world’s largest collections of independently verified and accredited energy efficient technology, with around 8,000 products already registered. We also handed out stickers to manufacturers who were displaying their ETL listed products at the event. 

From the ETL team, Zara Popstoyanova, Consultant at ICF, said: ‘This is the third year that the ETL has exhibited at Futurebuild, and it’s very rewarding to see that many of the visitors this year are familiar with what we’re doing. The conversation has shifted and is less about introducing the ETL and more about the latest functionalities and important industry collaborations that we have created, all to serve and support manufacturers and purchasers.’ 

Alexis Pienaar is a Junior Consultant on the ETL team at ICF. He commented that he’d seen an increase in visitors who were already aware of the scheme. ‘The main benefit of us being at Futurebuild is to expand brand awareness of the ETL. This is my second year attending, and I can really see that the difference is tangible with the amount of people coming to the stand who know about the ETL.’ 

Key insights from manufacturers

We interviewed several manufacturers at companies including Dimplex and Showersave at the event for a new video, which will appear soon on the ETL YouTube channel - make sure to keep an eye out for it. 

Craig Dolan, Senior Product Manager at Dimplex, said that his personal highlight from Futurebuild was the chance to mix with industry professionals. ‘It’s about having that platform to communicate and be seen - having a stand like this at the show, where decision makers come around and look, getting the chance to talk to them on a one-on-one basis [is a highlight]. But also, going to the speeches, listening and learning about what’s going on, that sparks ideas.’  

Tony Gordon, Managing Director at Showersave, said, ‘The main benefit is understanding what’s happening in the sector. There’s a lot of policy change going on and there’s a lot of great companies here, talking about how their businesses are reacting. It’s important for us to know how these businesses, especially heat pump [businesses] are reacting to those changes.’   

Tony added that there are plenty of benefits to Showersave listing its products on the ETL. ‘It exposes us to a market that we’re not already in, but that we have a huge contribution to make... the ETL has given us credibility because of the rigorous questions that you are asked at the application process.’   

Next year’s event theme has already been revealed as ‘Connect’, exploring challenges and solutions in the supply chain, and we can’t wait to learn more.   

Want to learn more about the ETL?

Purchasers who want to make energy savings can find energy efficient technology by browsing our list here. You can search through around 8,000 energy efficient products on the ETL, from Heat Pumps to Showers and Lighting Controls, and listings are in the top 25% of equipment on the market for energy efficiency in their class, independently verified and accredited – so you can feel confident in your buying decision.   

For manufacturers: by registering your products on the ETL, you’ll increase market visibility, reach more purchasers, and build trust with buyers via independent verification and accreditation - plus, the scheme is Government-backed and free. To make an application, check out the video explainer, or visit the Manufacturers page by clicking here.  

Find out more about how the ETL is helping the UK reach its Net Zero targets, by contacting us on info@etl.energysecurity.gov.uk.