The commitment from Octopus, together with several housebuilders, aims to transform the housing market by eliminating energy bills, boosting green jobs, and accelerating the UK’s journey toward becoming a clean energy superpower.
Vistry Group, the UK’s largest housebuilder, is piloting the delivery of Zero Bills homes across several developments, with an ambition to scale this initiative at pace in future projects.
Octopus already partners with over 50 housebuilders, including major developers such as Bellway and Persimmon.
Following the success of trial plots in Stafford, national housebuilder Bellway has committed to deliver an entire 130-plot site in Bedfordshire as Zero Bills next. This will be the biggest Zero Bills development in the UK to date, and the homes will be among the first to benefit from the new 10-year guarantee.
Regional housebuilders Verto and GS8 are pledging to go even further. Both companies have committed 100% of their future homes as Zero Bills, setting a new standard in sustainable housing. Other regional developers including Thakeham, Edenstone, and Hill Group also continue to keep the momentum in delivering these homes.
You can read all about the Hill Group project and the work being done on the scheme by smart energy solutions installer Envirolec as part of a special feature in the July edition of Renewable Energy Installer magazine here.
Existing properties could be eligible for Zero Bills upgrades
Zero Bills homes are also available for rent and shared ownership through partnerships with housing associations Platform, Clarion and SNG, alongside private rental providers Citra and Packaged Living.
In addition, Octopus Energy is retrofitting existing homes, and estimates 500,000 UK properties built since 2013 could be eligible to be upgraded to Zero Bills standards.
The announcement comes as Octopus showcases a Zero Bills home at this year’s Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, in partnership with Starship and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Built in just three days, this showcase home highlights the potential for rapid, sustainable construction of Zero Bills homes.
Greg Jackson, Founder of Octopus Energy, said:“This new target for our Zero Bills project is something that has never been done before. In just six years, 100,000 homeowners, families and couples could be living without ever having to think of an energy bill. Together with leading developers we’re building a brighter future where greener living is the cheaper option, not the premium.”
‘Never having to worry about energy bills is incredible’
Stephen Teagle, CEO, Partnerships and Regeneration, Vistry Group, said: “As Britain’s biggest housebuilder and the UK’s leading partnerships business, we have a responsibility to continually evolve and improve how we build our homes. Working with innovators like Octopus will benefit our customers, our partners and the environment. Zero Bills delivers on all fronts – it is a game changing concept for our industry.”
John, a Zero Bills customer in Falmouth, Cornwall, said: “Knowing I’ll never have to worry about energy bills is incredible. Plus, it’s reassuring to know we’re importing energy at the greenest times, making a positive impact on the planet without having to think about it. It’s great to see Octopus rolling this out at scale.”
Launched in 2022, Zero Bills is a world-first energy tariff from Octopus Energy that allows customers to move into homes which are fully kitted out with state-of-the-art green tech – including a heat pump, a battery and solar panels – with no energy bills guaranteed for five to 10 years.
You can read more about how Zero Bills works in our previous in-depth feature, which includes an interview with Octopus Energy technical director Nigel Banks, and the personal experience of homeowner Carolyn Minton, who lives in a Zero Bills home in Falmouth.
What do you think? Is this the solution to creating low carbon homes at scale? Write to us at news@renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk.
Image credit: Octopus Energy