Octopus Energy and The Hill Group partner to deliver UK's biggest "Zero Bills" development
Energy and technology group Octopus Energy has joined forces with housebuilder The Hill Group and Clarion Housing Group, the largest social landlord in the country, in a strategic partnership to revolutionise sustainable living in the UK.
Hill and Octopus Energy are developing the nation’s most extensive ’Zero Bills’ housing development, which will comprise of 89 meticulously designed homes at Hollymead Square in Newport, Essex. The partnership says that residents are guaranteed to pay no energy bills for a minimum of five years.
Of the 89 homes, 64 will be sold on the open market. The remaining 25 will be made available for affordable rent and shared ownership by Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest social housing provider. These will be the first completed ‘Zero Bills’ homes under affordable rent.
‘Zero Bills’ is a proposition that allows customers to move into homes which are designed and built with green energy technology and with no energy bills.
Following the success of a ‘Zero Bills’ pilot in Essex, Octopus Energy has now accredited close to 1,000 homes through contracts with other developers. These accredited plots span affordable, social, and private rent, as well as private and shared ownership.
The project at Hollymead Square encompasses a collection of two to five-bedroom houses and two-bedroom bungalows. Each property will be equipped with cutting-edge low-carbon technology, including solar panels, high-quality insulation, heat pumps, and home storage batteries. Designed to exceed the energy requirements for each property, this high level of home energy technology is seamlessly integrated and optimised by Octopus’ tech platform, Kraken, to result in zero bills for homeowners.
Octopus Energy’s goal of delivering 50,000 ’Zero Bills’ homes across the UK and beyond by 2025 aligns closely with Hill’s strategic aim to deliver net-zero carbon homes by 2030.
This is the first opportunity for the partners to work together to develop and provide net-zero housing. Construction of the new homes is underway, and the sales launch is due to take place this month, with the first homes expected to complete in Spring 2024.
Michael Cottrell, Zero Bills Homes Director at Octopus Energy, comments:
"This partnership with The Hill Group is the first giant leap in transforming the way we live in our homes and consume energy. This will also mark both the biggest ‘Zero Bills’ development in the UK and the first with affordable rent options with Clarion. This partnership pioneers a future where sustainable living is the standard for everybody, no matter their situation."
Greg Hill, Deputy chief executive at The Hill Group, says:
“We are excited to be working in partnership with Octopus Energy to provide our customers with the largest residential ‘Zero Bills’ development in the UK. The new homes at Hollymead Square in Newport will provide a blueprint for future sustainable housing and mark the start of our fruitful strategic partnership to deliver new homes complete with cutting-edge low-carbon technology that enable zero energy bills.”
Richard Cook, Group director of development at Clarion Housing Group, says:
"We are thrilled to be partnering with Octopus Energy and Hill Group on such an innovative project. It’s crucial that we cut emissions and cut bills for homes of all tenures. I am proud that Clarion residents will be among the first to benefit from a Zero Bills home."
Related Content
- © Ocean Media Group