Octopus Energy aiming for 100,000 ‘zero bill’ homes

Starship Group partnered Octopus to showcase the Zero Bills Home at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool this week – pic credit Starship Group

Octopus Energy has announced it will to speed up its ‘Zero Bills’ initiative, a goal to help 100,000 households eliminate energy bills for five to ten years by 2030 following successful pilots of the scheme.

The company, the UK’s biggest electricity supplier, hopes to change the housing market by eliminating bills and helping boost the green economy.

It will work together with national and regional housebuilders to deliver new homes fully fitted with solar panels, heat pumps and battery storage and other measures to make them as close to self-sufficient as possible.

The initiative was launched in 2022 and is officially the first-of-its-kind tariff in the world that helps customers move into energy-efficient, micro-generation homes. To deliver it, Octopus Energy is working with several leading housebuilders.

Vistry Group, the UK’s largest housebuilder, is piloting the project across several development and planning to scale it in the future.

Additionally, Bellway has committed to delivering an entire 130-plot site in Bedfordshire, following successful trials in Stafford.

Verto and GS8 have commited 100% of  their future homes to be ‘Zero Bills’, which Octopus Energy has described as a “new standard in sustainable housing”.

Other participating housebuilders include Vistry Group, Bellway, and Persimmon. The former piloted the first of these new homes. Bellway has also piloted a scheme in Stafford and has since committed to another 130-plot in Bedfordshire shortly.

Other regional developers including Thakeham, Edenstone, and Hill Group also continue to keep the momentum in delivering these homes.

‘Zero Bills’ homes are also available for rent and shared ownership through partnerships with housing associations Platform, Clarion and SNG, alongside private rental providers Citra and Packaged Living.

20,000 more electric blankets

Octopus has also relaunched its popular electric blanket scheme this winter. The company reports it is ready to supply 20,000 blankets for its customers, prioritizing the most vulnerable.

“Our electric blankets scheme supports customers most in need, particularly those with specific vulnerabilities and medical needs. To ensure the blankets are getting into the right hands, we’ll be prioritising those customers,” Octopus explains on its website.

“We know many people are worried about the costs of heating their homes over winter,” Mario Lupori, Director at Octopus Energy Group, explained.

“We’ve got 20,000 more blankets this year to give out to our most vulnerable customers, and we’re delighted that they will help them stay warm,” he added.

The scheme was first launched in 2022 and has, to date, handed out around 60,000 blankets.

Octopus Energy data showing that customers who previously received electrical blankets saw a 20% reduction in gas bills. Electrical bills rose, but by a tiny 0.2%, meaning customers saved around £150 over three months.