Octopus & gs8 unveil UK’s largest ‘Zero Bills’ community with revolutionary microgrid
- 113-home site in Epping will have zero energy bills for at least 5 years
- UK’s first ‘Zero Bills’ microgrid community with centralised battery
- New homes to be launched in April, with 35 available for affordable rent
London, 19 February 2025 - Octopus Energy, the UK’s largest energy supplier, and award-winning sustainable housebuilder gs8 have teamed up to develop the UK's largest ‘Zero Bills’ development in Thornwood, Epping.
Building on the success of their first ‘Zero Bills’ site in Walthamstow, Octopus and gs8 have partnered to develop the 113-home site alongside a revolutionary microgrid design.
The innovative scheme will feature centralised battery storage, allowing solar power to be seamlessly shared between properties.
The Octopus-accredited site will be developed in line with gs8’s ‘Planet Positive Framework’, meaning it will follow zero waste principles and store more carbon in the homes than is needed to build and maintain them.
Launched in 2022, Octopus’ ‘Zero Bills’ tariff enables customers to move into homes that are fully kitted out with state-of-the-art green tech, including a heat pump, a battery and solar panels, with no energy bills guaranteed for 5-10 years.
The Thornwood development will feature 35 homes available through affordable rent, with the first properties to be launched in April this year. The plans are shaped by and tailored to the needs of the local community and will introduce several new public spaces with homes bordering a nature reserve.
Octopus Energy aims to deliver 100,000 ‘Zero Bills’ homes by 2030, and has already rolled out the initiative in Germany and New Zealand, as well as the UK.
Nigel Banks, Zero Bills Director, Octopus Energy, comments: “‘Zero Bills’ is not just about eliminating energy bills - it’s about creating a sustainable future.
“Our partnership with gs8 to deliver a microgrid community is all about delivering a truly transformative solution that sets a new standard for affordable, eco-friendly living.”
Josh Gordon, Co-Founder, gs8, comments: “This is a landmark development for us as a business, building on the groundbreaking regenerative housing approach we’ve been committed to for the past six plus years.
“We are delighted to continue our successful partnership with Octopus Energy, a pioneering business which shares our vision and values, and seeking to create homes built for the future and developments that bring positive lasting impacts to local communities."
Octopus has already accredited well over 1,000 ‘Zero Bills’ homes through contracts with a number of prominent developers. Accredited homes span affordable and private rent, as well as private and shared ownership.
More information on ‘Zero Bills’ can be found here. For more information on the ‘Zero Bills’ homes at Carpenters Yard in Epping, please visit: https://www.carpentersyard.com/.
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
Renderings of ‘Zero Bills’ development in Thornwood, Epping
Press Contacts
Octopus Energy Group
+44 (0)20 4530 8369
Zero Bills Contacts
gs8
Anna Geffert
HERA Communication Strategies
Email: gs8@heracomms.com
Tel: +44 (0)7773 046 337
About Octopus Energy Group
Octopus Energy is a global clean energy tech business, driving the affordable, green energy system of the future. Under its own retail brand, Octopus delivers world-class customer service and cutting edge energy products to 9 million households globally. Its operations span 32 countries and the entire energy value chain. The group invests in, builds and flexibly manages renewable energy, operating a £7 billion portfolio of projects.
Octopus has licensed its advanced data and machine learning platform, Kraken, to support over 60 million customer accounts worldwide through licensing deals with companies such as EDF, E.ON and Origin Energy. Kraken enables Octopus to drive the electrification of heat and transport through smart tariffs and innovative cleantech. Backed by pension funds, investors and energy giants, Octopus Energy Group businesses deliver cheaper, greener energy and cutting-edge tech to countries and customers worldwide.
For information, check out our website.
About gs8
Residential developers and contractors, gs8 are pioneers in developing planet-positive homes, and are widely regarded as the UK market leaders in regenerative development. gs8 is a multidisciplinary business, delivering primarily its own projects, alongside partnerships with organisations such as The Crown Estate. Established in 2014, gs8 has been responsible for the delivery of over 1,000 homes in London and the Home Counties, with a live pipeline of over 1,500 homes. gs8 was awarded three RIBA prizes in 2024 including the RIBA Sustainability award.
For further information, visit www.gs8.london
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