Barratt Redrow has joined forces with British Gas to offer homes with free energy for two years on a new site in Lincolnshire.
10 homeowners at the Pastures Place development will get this deal if they agree to share data on how they use their homes’ eco technology.
The development includes three, four and five-bedroom homes starting from £319,995 and shared ownership properties.
The eco technology in these homes is supplied by Hive and includes software to control smart devices connected to the grid.
The system manages air source heat pumps, solar panels and batteries, smart sensors and lights.
The aim is to meet more energy needs from the home’s own generation or use more energy when the grid is quiet to get cleaner, cheaper power.
Homeowners will not pay electricity bills for heating, hot water, lighting, cooking and appliances for two years.
This could save around £1,258 per year for a typical new build house, depending on home size, household size and usage.
The deal does not cover electric car charging and is subject to a fair usage agreement of 5,000 kWh a year.
After two years, anyone generating more electricity than they use can sell the extra through the Smart Export Guarantee.
Those who generate more than they use could continue to have zero bills or even earn money.
Scientists at the University of Salford will analyse the data from the trial homes.
Barratt Redrow and the University of Salford have already spent two years researching low carbon technology in a net zero carbon concept house.
By monitoring these homes for two years, Barratt Redrow will be able to share data with surveyors and mortgage lenders to help them understand the effect on house values and the link to green mortgages.
Oliver Novakovic, head of technical & innovation at Barratt Redrow, said: “The partnership will see Barratt Redrow and British Gas test a template for delivering low to no bill homes at scale.
“The trial of free energy bill homes at Corby Glen is an important step forward from the concept homes that we have built at the University of Salford to delivering the learnings into customers’ homes.
“We are designing and delivering innovative, energy efficient, low carbon homes that enable customers to live comfortably with advanced fabric and heating technology, so that they can gain the benefits of both lower bills.”
Hamish Phillips, net zero business development director at Centrica, said: “British Gas is proud to bring its trusted expertise into the homes of the future using Hive’s innovative technology.
“We understand the meaningful difference that smart home solutions can make – not only helping customers save money, but also supporting their ambitions to live more sustainably.
“Our partnership with Barratt Redrow is a strong example of how the right eco-tech empowers people to take control of their energy use and get even more from their homes.”
