New ‘zero-bills’ homes

The announcement says the development will use ‘revolutionary’ microgrid technology, including centralised battery storage. The new homes can seamlessly share the stored solar power. 

 

These proposals follow on from the success of initiatives in Walthamstow, Germany and New Zealand. 

 

The site will follow the ‘Planet Positive Framework’ and zero waste principles. This means the homes will store more carbon than needed to build and maintain them. The ‘Zero Bills’ tariff allows customers to move into homes fully equipped with the latest green technology. They will have heat pumps, batteries and solar panels. The zero energy bills guarantee means they’ll have nothing to pay for five to10 years. 

 

The government has set a target to reduce the UK’s net emissions by 100% compared to 1990 levels by 2050, known as the ‘net zero target’. However, that’s not the same as zero emissions. 

 

In 2022, domestic properties accounted for a fifth of all the country’s carbon emissions. The advisory Climate Change Committee (CCC) said the UK would miss the net zero target without almost complete decarbonisation of our housing stock. 

 

Residential emissions mostly come from burning fuel and using electricity. Low-carbon heating systems like heat pumps can help, along with insulation to improve energy efficiency. Renewable energy systems such as solar panels can also make a difference. 

 

Measuring home energy use through Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) is one way to check progress. EPCs for homes include ratings from A to G for energy efficiency and environmental impact. However, because the rating is based on cost, there are concerns that EPCs won’t help the country meet its target. For example, homes with gas boilers could currently receive better EPC ratings than those with heat pumps. While work progresses to create more useful measurements, the net-zero deadline is fast-approaching.