Octopus Energy to open ‘biggest ever’ property site with ‘no energy bills’ – 300 homes | Personal Finance | Finance

Octopus Energy is set to open the “largest ever” Zero Bills site to date, where residents “won’t pay a penny” for their home energy for between five and 10 years at least. In partnership with Prosperity Group, the first of the 300 “Zero Bills” homes at the new site in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, are due to be completed in 2028, with residents expected to move in later that year.

Octopus launched the Zero Bills energy tariff in 2022, which allows customers to move into homes packed with green technology – including a heat pump, a battery and solar panels – with no home energy bills for 5-10 years.

Nigel Banks, Zero Bills director at Octopus Energy, said: “We’re finding ourselves in yet another energy crisis, and households are looking for ways to protect themselves from unpredictable energy prices. Living without a home energy bill is no longer a distant ambition – it’s a reality thanks to our Zero Bills tariff.

“This partnership with Prosperity Group is a big step forward – together, we’re bringing Zero Bills living to hundreds of homes and showing what’s possible when smart tech is built in from day one.”

The Zero Bills tariff does not cover EV charging; this service is billed separately.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of the Future Homes Standard, which requires new homes to include technologies such as heat pumps and solar panels, in a bid to accelerate the shift towards “cleaner, smarter and cheaper-to-run” homes.

Demand for these technologies is reportedly on the rise, with new data from Octopus Energy suggesting that heat pump sales are up 103%, solar panel sales are up 78%, and EV charger enquiries are up 42%.

According to Octopus, more than 6,000 Zero Bills homes have been approved so far through partnerships with developers, covering affordable and private rent, as well as private and shared ownership properties.

The energy giant aims to deliver 100,000 Zero Bills homes by 2030, after rolling out the initiative in Germany, France, New Zealand, and the UK.

Joe Billingham, chairman at Prosperity Group, said: “Our focus has always been on delivering high-quality, forward-thinking developments for both our investors and customers.

“Working with Octopus Energy allows us to integrate cutting-edge technology that not only enhances the living experience but also supports long-term investment performance.

“With increasing regulatory pressure around EPC standards and tighter requirements on the horizon, schemes like this offer a clear route to future-proofing assets from day one, while meeting the growing demand for sustainable, energy-efficient homes.”