The desire to become as eco-friendly as possible is strong across Britain. Now, eco-friendly options and additions are huge selling points across the board, and this is particularly true in housing. After all, being more eco-friendly also results in a lower cost of living. Using less and more efficient energy is good for your bank balance and the environment. Many housing trends have popped up as a result.
Seeking to improve the state of play, UK tech firm Octopus Energy has been testing its Zero Bills initiative. These homes are so efficient that energy bills won’t be charged for at least a decade. Seeing rampant success off the bat, Octopus plans to build 100,000 of these bill-eradicating homes.
High Demand for Small Supply
There are said to be around 30 million homes or dwellings in the UK. In February 2025, over 108,000 homes changed hands. So, there’s a high demand for homes that do hit the market. When the advertisement of “Zero Bills” is thrown in, demand goes through the roof. The Octopus program began with a 120-home development in Burgess Hill. Then, there were the 89 homes built in Hollymead Square, Newport, under the Zero Bills initiative.
Pilot programs, naturally, don’t do a huge amount by way of volume. Supply was intentionally small to test if the initiative would work and be popular. As it turns out, it does work and was very popular. Over the next five years, Octopus will ramp up this rollout tremendously. It’ll aim to hit 100,000 new Zero Bills homes by 2030. Yet, that still means that these new homes are in relatively short supply – especially if they’re not all in the UK.
As such, would-be buyers need to be nimble when these fleeting opportunities arise. It’s a buyer’s market in the UK right now. There’s lots of competition, keeping prices in check. Given the time it takes to sell, many who want to move on quickly can also look into getting cash for houses. The streamlined process without any hidden fees can see sellers received funds in seven days. Plus, you can choose a sale date that suits you.
More Eco-Friendly Plots on the Way
One of the best offshoots of the Octopus Energy Zero Bills initiative is that many more builders are looking to promote their eco-friendly efforts. For example, in Kent, a collection of “ultra-sustainable” luxury homes went on sale at the end of April 2025 (although the starting prices were £1.25 million). In a more grounded effort, Hugglescote Grange will be getting a new range of 55 eco-friendly homes.
The new homes there are said to save close to £1,000 a year on energy bills. Still, the headline act has plenty more to come. After the success of the pilot program, Octopus is taking a big step up. The next plot will be in West Sussex. This new outing will bring 1,350 Zero Bills homes to the market. There’s also a Bedfordshire development of 130 homes on the way.
The Zero Bills initiative is a strong move towards helping us reach net-zero by 2050. However, those who want to get into one of these hyperefficient homes soon will need to move fast.
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