What is new homes week?
New homes week is a celebration launched by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) to provide information, insights & the benefits of newly built homes. Whether you are a first time buyer or selling an existing property there are plenty of schemes & incentives to help people by new homes. One of the biggest attractions of a new build property is it's energy efficiency. New build properties are proven to use far less energy than older properties, saving you money on annual energy bills.
How many new homes were built last year? Based on the building statistics for the financial year ending March 2022, a total of 204,530 new homes were completed in the UK:
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171,190 in England
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5,270 in Wales
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20,770 in Scotland
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7,300 in Northern Ireland
This number does not include conversions and changes of use. The amount of new homes built will be in-line with the government agreed standards including changes to building regulations in 2022 meaning that homes in England are now required to produce 30% less emissions. Following consultation in 2023 the UK government intends to publish the Future Homes & Building Standard (HFS) in 2024 before its implementation in 2025. This new standard will mean that new homes must be "zero carbon ready" and their CO2 emissions will be 75% - 80% lower than those built to current standards. This all contributes towards the governments Net Zero strategy.
Energy Efficient Homes:
Newly built homes are built to be energy efficient and new homeowners are collectively reducing carbon emissions by around 570,000 tonnes per year. Research from the HBF shows that 85% of newly built homes have either an A or B EPC rating which means that the homeowners could save up to £3,100 on their annual energy bills. It is also worth noting that homebuilders are committed to increasing biodiversity of a development area (Biodiversity Net Gain). Due to many new homes being built there is a policy that protects natural habitats before development. As part of the Environment Act 2021, planning permissions granted in England must deliver at least 10% biodiversity meaning that 10% of the developed land must be left habitable for wildlife.
If you would like to know what your EPC rating is and how you could improve, please contact us to today to speak to one of our expert team members who can arrange an EPC survey for you.
