Green social housing lands in Exeter
SNG and Octopus Energy have joined forces to deliver the first-ever set of high-tech homes for social housing tenants, who will have no energy bills for at least five years.
Six residents in social housing at Nexa Fields in Exeter will pay nothing for their energy for the next five years as a result of the new homes having been built using state-of-the-art green technology.
The tech means they qualify for the ‘Zero Bills’ initiative – a world-first energy tariff introduced by Octopus Energy.
Under the terms of the scheme, where homes are fully fitted with a heat pump, battery and solar panels, residents are guaranteed not to pay for energy for five to 10 years. The six residents at Nexa Fields are the first to move in but more than 1,000 homes have been accredited through the scheme via contracts with prominent developers. These include affordable, private rent and private and shared ownership homes.
Each of the new homes built at Nexa Fields has been awarded an A-rated energy performance certificate (EPC) with a score of 129 – the highest anywhere in the UK, so far. They’ve been developed by award-winning Verto Homes for SNG, the second-largest developer among housing associations.
SNG aims to deliver 25,000 new, highly sustainable homes over the next decade, underpinned by its Homes & Place Standard for sustainability and liveability. Octopus Energy, meanwhile, hopes to deliver a further 100,000 Zero Bills homes by 2030. The scheme is already being rolled out in Germany and New Zealand.
Tom Titherington, Chief Investment and Development Officer at SNG, says: ‘Seeing our customers move into their new homes is always fantastic and knowing that these are the first social housing customers to enjoy zero energy bills adds to our confidence we’re delivering the standard of homes needed for people to thrive over generations.
‘As we continue to grow our delivery of good, affordable homes over the next ten years, we look forward to working with partners like Octopus and Verto Homes to keep building places that are a foundation for better lives, while protecting the environment for us all.’
Nigel Banks, Zero Bills Homes Director at Octopus Energy, adds: ‘Our groundbreaking partnership with SNG and Verto Homes is a huge aid for those moving into these homes who are struggling with their bills. We’re helping to reduce their impact on the planet while also reducing their regular outgoings as well – making their homes more affordable and eco-friendly places to be.’
Tom Carr, Co-Founder of Verto Homes, says: ‘At Verto Homes, we are deeply committed to building homes that are not just beautifully designed and of exceptional quality, but that also put sustainability at their very core. We are immensely proud of Nexa Fields, the UK’s first fully ‘Zero Bills’ community. Seeing the first residents move in is an incredibly rewarding moment for us, and we wish them every success in their new homes.’
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