Why buying an eco-friendly home could save you money

We’re all bracing ourselves for a brutal winter ahead, as fuel prices are set to go through the roof.

On October 1, the energy price cap jumps from £1,971 to £3,549, meaning that the average customer on a variable tariff could see annual bills rise by 80%.

This price hike is due to a huge increase in the cost of wholesale energy and will apply to 85% of UK households.

Although the government is offering each household a £400 discount, many people believe that this isn’t nearly enough.

Homes are rated from A (the best) to G (the worst) for energy-efficiency, and those with poor ratings will be affected the most.

‘From October, average bills for D-rated properties (the most common type) are set to rise by just over £1,250 a year, even after taking account of the government’s £400 discount,’ explains Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist.

‘Those in properties rated A-C will see average bills increase by nearly £1,000 a year, E-rated properties will see an increase of over £1,700 per year while those in the least energy efficient properties (F/G) face a staggering £2,700 rise.’

As well as guzzling money, energy inefficient homes can be more difficult to sell.

Moda, The Mercian is Birmingham’s tallest residential building and the first in the city to achieve the highest level (three stars) of Fitwel certification – the world’s leading accreditation for buildings promoting healthy and sustainable lifestyles.

SO Resi, known for pushing the boundaries in affordable housing, is working with modular housing pioneer ilke Homes in delivering the UK’s first operationally net zero carbon development, SO Resi Hope Green, located in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex.

The majority of the 153 two, three and four-bedroom shared ownership homes will generate their own energy, and four are totally bill-free.

The new homes come with air source heat pumps, which require just a third of the energy of conventional heating systems, solar panels and battery storage technology fully installed. Not only will each generate enough energy to be operationally 
carbon neutral, but there’s potential to earn income from exported electricity.

In addition, homes will be highly insulated, with airtight windows and doors and high-performing building fabric, and fitted with low-cost LED lighting throughout.

Four-bedroom houses are currently available starting from £147,750 for a 30% share of £492,500.

The family home

The Arbour, by gs8 in London’s Walthamstow, has set a new benchmark in sustainability as it consists of ten mews houses and apartments that are carbon-negative, zero-waste and energy-positive.

They generate all the energy they need on-site, were built from reused materials, storing more carbon than was used in their construction, and are expected to have zero-energy bills. From £1million for a two-bedroom house.

On a somewhat larger scale, Matlock Spa is a new village on the edge of the Peak District. The focus is on health, wellbeing and sustainability, and homes are built in local Derbyshire stone and have air source heat pumps, super-thick insulation and responsive temperature and ventilation control systems.

Three-bedroom cottages are from £425,000, four-bedroom townhouses from £500,000 and penthouses are also on offer.

Zero-carbon Knights Park, by Hill, is located in the University Of Cambridge’s Eddington development and homes incorporate, among other things, robust insulation, triple glazing, photovoltaic panels and mechanical ventilation and heat recovery systems.

A five-bedroom detached house is £1,999,950; apartments are also for sale.

The innovations

Retrofitting any listed period building to boost energy efficiency is no mean feat, which makes the transformation of the 120-year-old Tobacco Warehouse in Liverpool’s historic docks all the more remarkable.

The largest brick warehouse in the world, it has recently been converted into 550 spacious one, two and three-bedroom loft-style waterfront apartments and is connected to a local district heat network that provides low-carbon, cost-effective heat and power.

Homes are beautifully designed to preserve the original architecture and have an EPC of B, making this one of the UK’s most energy efficient heritage developments. From £265,000.

Case study: ‘We didn’t want a place we’d have to renovate’

According to research by Zoopla, 70% of new-home buyers cite energy efficiency as a priority in their decision to purchase.

This was at the forefront of 25-year-old Emma Burden’s mind when, together with her partner Toby, she bought a one-bedroom flat at Dandara’s 1887 The Pantiles development in Tunbridge Wells, close to where she’d been living with her family.

Adamant that she didn’t want to throw away her hard-earned salary on renovating or heating a drafty old property at a time when costs are soaring, she narrowed her search down to new-builds.

‘We’re not handy at DIY and don’t have a lot of spare time so we didn’t want somewhere we would have to renovate or retrofit,’ says Emma, who is a recruitment consultant.

‘With all the headlines about rocketing utility bills, energy efficiency was really important to us – so much so that we stopped looking at the second-hand market altogether.’

Her home includes an energy efficient boiler and the latest energy and water-efficient kitchen appliances, insulated external doors to improve soundproofing and cut heat loss, which all help to reduce energy bills.

‘We don’t pay much for gas and electricity and our water bill is a bargain compared to some of the older properties we originally looked at.’

Two-bedroom apartments and two-bedroom mews houses are currently available at 1887 The Pantiles, from £515,000 and £575,000, respectively.

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