Buyers of a new build energy efficient home save around £2,600 a year on average in energy bills: one in four buyers now put efficiency as a key consideration.
It's one reason why a new build home is a good move.
Research based on government Energy Performance Certificate data shows that new build properties significantly reduce a household’s energy use.
The average new home uses around 100kWh per square metre a year, compared with older properties which need an average of 259kWh per square metre. This adds up to a saving of around £220 a month.
Ofgem’s price cap is set to rise to an annual level of £4,279 in January, although bill-payers will remain protected under the government’s Energy Price Guarantee (EPG).
So while there is some comfort in the intervention to cap typical energy bills, households in poorly insulated and inefficient older properties will continue to pay more than those living in a new build.
This goes a long way towards explaining why one in four buyers now put efficiency as a key consideration when purchasing a house.
CHAP started building homes in the 1970s and at the start of that decade, only 31% of homes had central heating.
Fifty years ago, most heat in homes was lost up the chimney through open coal fires or uninsulated walls and roofs, but better insulation, better boilers and tighter building standards now provide more comfort at the same time as cutting energy costs.
However today’s homes are kept 4°C warmer than they were in 1970 on average, they have more than 30 lightbulbs and an array of energy-guzzling appliances like 40-inch TVs that would have been unimaginable then.
This needs a lot more energy, which makes it even more important that power is used efficiently.
We’re proud to say that our homes are cost-effective to heat and run — and have a lower impact on the environment — compared with the average Scottish home.
Meanwhile, the government’s Climate Change Committee has said that the UK’s legally binding climate change targets will not be met without the near-complete elimination of greenhouse gas emissions from UK building stock by 2050.
Of the 29million existing homes across the UK, at least 19million still need to be made low carbon, low-energy and resilient to a changing climate.
At CHAP Homes, we handpick the latest modern construction materials and technology to create homes that are built to last.
Buyers of our new homes are contributing to the country’s progression towards net zero, with each new build producing just a third of the carbon emitted by older homes.
As well as meeting the latest building regulations on carbon dioxide emissions, careful thought is applied to every house we build and every community we play a part in creating.
We also demonstrate our commitment to go further, using new technologies and methods to ensure efficiency is embedded to the highest standard from the point of construction.
Homes in our developments in Crest of Lochter and Countesswells all come fitted with highly-effective low carbon heating alternatives.
This includes photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and exceptionally efficient air-to-water heat pump systems.
With solar panels, you can generate your own renewable electricity. Solar PV systems are made up of several panels, with each panel generating around 355W of energy in strong sunlight. However, the cells don’t need direct sunlight to work and can even work on cloudy days.
Air-to-water heat pumps transfer heat from the outside air to water to keep your home and running water warm, even when the weather’s freezing. Heat from the air is absorbed into a fluid. This fluid then passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump, which raises the temperature and then transfers that heat to water to keep your home comfortably warm.
Our homes also come with beautiful German Nobilia kitchens with integrated modern appliances. As well as their outstanding quality, we chose Nobilia for their commitment to sustainability. They consider every single aspect of production – the raw materials, supply chain, production, transport, retail and durability – an approach that ties in with CHAP values.
And when it comes to your car, we can also help out with planning in charging points for electric vehicles.
The homes we create are inspired by our architectural heritage, but are built for the way we live today, with sustainability and energy efficiency front of mind, and using modern materials that stand the test of time.
CHAP Homes abides by the standards set out in the consumer code for Home Builders.
And that means when you buy a new home from us, you’ll know exactly what to expect, every step of the way.