Housebuilders are driving energy savings

New homes being built in England and Wales are considerably more energy efficient than their predecessors, saving owners hundreds of pounds a year in energy bills, a new report ‘You’ve got the power’ released by the Home Builders Federation (HBF).

According to Energy Performance Certificate data, more than eight out of 10 new builds have the top A or B rating for energy efficiency compared to just 2.2% of existing properties.

Government data shows that as a result, new homes are using on average 103kWh/m2 worth of energy compared to an average of 294kWh/M2 for existing homes.

This means that new build home owners will spend on average £443.30 a year (£276 heating/£108 hot water/£60 lighting), well under half of the £1,072 the owner of an older home can expect to spend – saving, on average, £52 a month, or £629 a year.

With fuel costs having already increased by around 36% in the past decade, and likely to increase even further, new homeowner savings are likely to grow. And with housing accounting for nearly 30% of the UKs energy use, new build homes are also delivering significant benefits for the environment.

In accordance with modern regulation, housebuilders are driving energy savings through a combination of new designs and more efficient materials; for example, by installing boilers that only give you hot water when you need it, fitting modern double glazing filled with argon gas, using quality insulation in the roof and walls, and by creating sophisticated water drainage systems.

Stewart Baseley, HBF’s executive chairman, said, “Today’s new homes are significantly more energy efficient than their predecessors, delivering huge benefits both for their owners and the environment. Owners are saving hundreds of pounds a year in energy bills due to the modern design of their homes and the materials used to construct them.

“With energy bills expected to increase further, households will continue to reap the financial rewards in the future allowing families to spend more of their money on the things they want instead of simply keeping warm. With house builders’ ongoing investment in innovation, it is clear that the industry is committed to driving yet more savings for homeowners.”