Energy bills slashed by 40%: huge new report says accelerate Cleantech home building

We're thrilled to announce that some of the UK's top businesses are coming together under the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) to speed up the creation of cleantech homes across the UK. Together, we're dedicated to bringing the benefits of green tech to millions of customers and driving the transition to net zero.

• Cleantech homes can slash energy bills by 40% - 100% and increase property values by 16%
• Consumers are overwhelmingly satisfied with clean technologies (91% of people are satisfied with their heat pumps)
• Some of the UKs biggest businesses are making vital commitments to accelerate the roll out of clean tech homes
• We urge the government to set an end date for phasing out gas boilers in new builds as quickly as possible, to remove green taxes from electricity bills, and support retraining for low-carbon tech installation and maintenance.
  

Our report, "Cleantech Homes: Lower Bills, Healthier Living," provides a blueprint for building greener, more affordable homes across Britain. We've shed light on the many financial perks for homeowners and developers, the rising demand for low-carbon technologies, and the progress in training and grid connections. To top it all off, together we've put our money where our mouth is – our members have made significant commitments to ramp up the roll-out of cleantech homes.

Imagine homes equipped with green heating (heat pumps), solar panels, and batteries, all working together to slash your energy bills and create healthier living spaces. Cleantech homes can cutting your energy bills by 40% - 100%, and improve your property's value by up to 16%! And it's not just about savings; it's about living better. Cleantech homes eliminate harmful nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions from gas boilers and cookers, significantly reducing asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

Despite common misinformation, over 91% of people with a heat pump are satisfied or highly satisfied with their heat pumps, compared to only 74% of people with a gas boiler. Interest in low-carbon technology in homes is increasing rapidly: in 2024, properties with heat pumps are the 158th most popular search on rightmove, up from over 1,000 in 2020.

The industry is already making significant progress, with 18% of new homes now featuring heat pumps and over 11,000 heat pump engineers trained in the last two years. The advantages clean tech homes unlock are clear for the housing sector too. Developers can benefit from a price premium and cleantech property sales, and lenders can hit their net-zero targets more effectively.

The businesses who put this report together have all made comprehensive pledges to help accelerate the transition, for example the Hill Group have committed to stop installing gas boilers this year, Rightmove will help promote heat pumps in listings, and UK Power Networks will make it easier to connect Cleantech homes to the grid.

However, to meet Net Zero targets, rapid acceleration has never been more important.

The report's launch event, hosted by TV personality Kevin McCloud, took place at Kew Bridge Rise, a Hill Group housing development showcasing a mix of affordable, shared, and private ownership properties equipped with solar panels, heat pumps, and over 20 EV charging points.

This collaborative effort, developed with leading UK property and mortgage experts such as Baringa, Rightmove, Lloyds, Bellway, Hill Group, Savills, aims to reshape the future of housing. Greg Jackson, our founder, states, “Homes with heat pumps, solar panels, and batteries can make big bills a thing of the past. Sometimes we can eliminate power bills completely.”

We're ready to collaborate to turbocharge the UK's shift to clean-tech homes. By mobilising the private sector, boosting the retrofit market, educating consumers, and integrating these homes into our energy system, we're determined to help you save on bills and enjoy a healthier lifestyle.