Enough to cover the cost of a:
• Starbucks latte on every working day of the year
• Mobile phone and broadband contract
• Premier League season ticket (and 7 away games)
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 today shows.
According to Energy Performance Certificate data, more than 8 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.
The report also explains how owners of new build properties could choose to spend the money they are saving to:
- Buy a season ticket at their favourite Premier League football club;
- Pay their monthly broadband and mobile phone bills
- Take a return trip to New Zealand
- Buy a latte coffee from Starbucks every working day of the year
- Cover almost a month’s mortgage costs
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, house builders are driving energy savings through a combination of innovative design 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.
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For media enquiries, or to arrange an interview, please contact Steve Turner on 020 7960 1606 or 07919 307760. Steve.turner@hbf.co.uk
Notes to editors
- The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the representative body of the home building industry in England and Wales. The HBF’s member firms account for some 80% of all new homes built in England and Wales in any one year, and include companies of all sizes, ranging from multi-national, household names through regionally based businesses to small local companies: www.hbf.co.uk
