Looking to save money on your energy bills? We all know costs are on the rise, and look to get higher in April this year, but by living in a new build home, you can combat these increases.
According to the latest report from the Home Builders Federation (HBF), new build homeowners will be paying 63% less annually than those living in existing homes from April 2023 - just over £3,100 per year - a huge saving for any household!
Check out our top 10 reasons why new build homes are much more energy efficient and how they could save you thousands a year on bills.
If you own an older home, buying newer, eco-friendly appliances will prove costly. But new builds already come kitted out in the latest, more energy-efficient washing machines, dishwashers and ovens all of which have top-level energy ratings.
That means you won’t have to worry about upgrading your appliances any time soon!
The Future Home Standard legislation is now only two years away, which will see a ban of gas boilers being installed in new build homes and means more energy-efficient alternatives need to be used.
But what exactly are they?
Well, solutions such as heat pumps and hydrogen boilers will be installed as standard. Having these eco-friendly alternatives in your home is a guaranteed way to help keep you save the pennies when it comes to your energy costs.
Older homes naturally lose more heat because they are less thermally efficient. This is all down to the building during construction – essentially, new build homes use materials which are super insulative!
With rigorous new energy standards though, new build homes come with the latest and best in insulation materials. This will you help keep heat inside your home, covering more of the walls and roof spaces as well as increasing the airtightness of the property, which will all help you save money.
It’s a simple equation: old windows = hot air escaping! Modern double or triple-glazed modern windows not only increase the energy efficiency of a home, reducing both your carbon footprint and energy bills but also help reduce any noise from outside.
Made with materials that stop heat from passing through, the gaps in between the glass panels on modern windows are pre-filled with air or gas which is then completely sealed to make them more airtight.
It can cost thousands to upgrade old windows, but on new build houses, they come as standard and last for decades.
New build homes now have to meet much stricter energy-efficient standards, which include the types of materials used to construct the properties.
That means homes are now being built with energy-efficient measures fully in place from when the foundations are laid., This avoids the need for an expensive retrofit that would have to take place on an older home for it to be brought up to the same sustainable standard.
Air pressure tests aren’t just for your car tyres! All new build houses are air-pressure tested, which keeps air leakage from the property as minimal as possible.
Having an airtight property not only increases your comfort but also reduces heating costs and lowers carbon emissions.
Air pressure testing is a requirement for all newly built homes. Research shows that poor airtightness can lead to losing a whopping 40%of heat in a property, leading to much more expensive bills!
In short, older house use more water than new build homes.
Older houses can use up to 150 litres per person, which is well over the current legislation maximum of 120 litres per person.
At Avant Homes, our specification delivers efficiencies that are below 110 litres per person, meaning much less water is wasted with our new build housing, again saving you money on ever-rising bills!
Currently, all homes built on Avant Homes’ Scotland developments are required to have solar panels installed as part of the Government’s legislation.
But this will change very soon, again thanks to the Future Home Standards act coming in 2025 which will see solar panels come as standard on all UK new build homes. Having sustainable energy methods installed as standard will of course reduce any property carbon footprint and not to mention save you money on bills!
New build houses have the advantage of being constructed now, meaning the housebuilders have been through the trial-and-error process of finding out what materials are the most sustainable.
Timber, for example, has been proven to be much more energy efficient in terms of retaining heat and than traditional masonry, which was widely used to construct older homes.
Using these materials will of course make new homes much more energy efficient than existing houses and again, save you plenty each year.
Although there is no minimum EPC rating currently in place for new build homes, it will be raised from E to C in 2025 under the Future Home Standards act.
A better EPC rating generally means more savings on energy bills and recent research found that 85% of new build homes had an A or B rating, showing the impact of using more sustainable materials and stricter legislation.
Click here to find out more about our range of homes and how we can help get you moving.
For more energy saving tips read our blog on how to save energy in the home.
