Building on the success of their first Zero Bills site in Walthamstow, Octopus and gs8 have announced plans for the 113-home site in Thornwood, Epping. This will be the housebuilder’s largest site to date and includes a revolutionary microgrid design.
The innovative scheme will feature centralised battery storage, allowing solar power to be seamlessly shared between properties.
The Octopus-accredited site will be developed in line with gs8’s ‘Planet Positive Framework’, meaning it will follow zero waste principles and store more carbon in the homes than is needed to build and maintain them.
Thirty-five of the homes at Thornwood will be available through affordable rent, with the first properties to be launched in April this year.
Microgrid community setting a new standard
Launched in 2022, Octopus’ Zero Bills tariff enables customers to move into homes that 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 5-10 years.
Octopus Energy aims to deliver 100,000 ‘Zero Bills’ homes by 2030, and has already rolled out the initiative in Germany and New Zealand, as well as the UK.
Nigel Banks, Zero Bills Director, Octopus Energy, said: “Zero Bills is not just about eliminating energy bills – it’s about creating a sustainable future.
“Our partnership with gs8 to deliver a microgrid community is all about delivering a truly transformative solution that sets a new standard for affordable, eco-friendly living.”
Josh Gordon, Co-Founder, gs8, added:“This is a landmark development for us as a business, building on the groundbreaking regenerative housing approach we’ve been committed to for the past six plus years.”
Octopus has so far accredited well over 1,000 Zero Bills homes through contracts with a number of prominent developers. Accredited homes span affordable and private rent, as well as private and shared ownership.
Image credit: Octopus Energy, Thornwood render.
