Ilke and Octopus launch homes with zero energy bills

Octopus Energy and ilke Homes have entered into a strategic partnership to roll out the UK’s first homes to guarantee residents zero energy bills. The partnership will be launched at the Stanford-le-Hope site in Essex where ilke Homes is delivering 153 homes with Gresham House and SO Resi. It is branded Hope Green. Two factory-built homes, equipped with air source heat pumps, solar panels and battery storage technology will be the first built under ilke ZERO. The low-carbon technologies will combine to provide free, clean energy round the clock, with Octopus Energy providing a bespoke tariff. In total, 101 of the Hope Green homes will be zero-carbon in operation – the most delivered on a single site in the UK to date. Ilke chief executive Giles Carter said: “Our strategic partnership with Octopus Energy Group is the next milestone on our ilke ZERO journey. Thanks to years of intensive research and development, we have successfully created a ready-to-go, highly energy-efficient solution to housing delivery – one which will help investors future-proof investments against government policy, help meet strict ESG criteria, and allow for revenue streams to be accessed as quick as possible due to a significant reduction in construction programmes.” The announcement comes as millions of Britons struggle with soaring fuel and electricity bills, with average increases of £693 for around 18m households on standard tariffs and £708 for 4.5m prepayment customers. That is set to rise even higher in October when the price cap is raised. Greg Jackson, founder of Octopus Energy Group, said: “This breakthrough partnership debunks a long-standing myth – that cleaner energy will mean higher bills for consumers. Instead, people living in these homes won’t be paying for energy at all.” The first two ZERO bills homes, which will be made available for shared ownership, have been pre-fabricated at ilke Homes’ factory in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. The homes will also be equipped with battery technology to store any excess green electricity the solar panels generate. Alistair Wardell, investment director at Gresham House, said: “This project will deliver real-world benefits to residents in Hope Green and is another step on the journey towards widespread development of net zero residential homes across the UK.” Launched in July 2021, ilke ZERO aims to deliver thousands of operational zero-carbon homes per year for major investors, housing associations, and councils across the UK. The homes have already been trialled in London, Newcastle, Gateshead, Newark, and Sunderland, and are now ready to be rolled out en masse. Kush Rawal, director of residential investment at SO Resi, said: “The housing sector clearly has a big part to play in driving down carbon emissions and moving towards more sustainable methods of construction and environmentally friendly homes. However, we have always stressed that it is important to strike a balance and work with partners such as ilke Homes and Gresham House to ensure a move to green living remains affordable for the consumer, otherwise we risk creating a two-tier society where being sustainable is only for those who can afford it.” He added: “Innovations such as those within Hope Green put sustainability at their very core and go above and beyond what is expected – particularly within the affordable homes sector. Our priority is always to ensure housing remains accessible to those who need it most, and it is an exciting milestone that the pioneering bill-free house will be available through shared ownership rather than to the highest bidder.” To send feedback, e-mail piers.wehner@eg.co.uk or tweet @PiersWehner or @EGPropertyNews Photo: mehrunissa/Pixabay