The UK’s largest energy supplier, Octopus Energy, has collaborated with Barratt Redrow, the UK’s most prevalent housebuilder, on a deal to bring energy-bill-free living to households across the country.
The landmark deal will combine Octopus’ pioneering Zero Bills tariff with Barratt Redrow’s deep construction expertise to create high-quality, sustainable homes, where residents won’t pay a penny for their home energy bills for 10 years.
Pioneering for a tech-oriented move to greener living, the Zero Bills tariff, launched in 2022, was the first of its kind to allow customers to move into homes with a guaranteed farewell to their energy bills for a minimum of 5-10 years. A tall but honorable feat, executed through cutting-edge technology including heat pumps, a battery and solar panels.
As a first step in the partnership, Octopus and Barratt Redrow will roll out 54 Zero Bills homes across two sites in Wixams, Bedfordshire and Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. The first homes will be completed in 2026, and both partners are already exploring further potential Zero Bills sites across the UK.
The agreement follows closely behind Octopus Capital’s £100m raise through its Affordable Housing Fund, funding that is set to deliver more than 1,000 Zero Bills homes across England and Scotland. Octopus has already approved over 5,000 Zero Bills homes via partnerships with major developers, spanning affordable housing, private rent, and private and shared ownership schemes.
With ambitions to deliver 100,000 Zero Bills homes by 2030, Octopus Energy has already expanded the model beyond the UK, rolling it out in Germany, France and New Zealand.
Nigel Banks, Zero Bills Director at Octopus Energy, said:
“We’ve been working closely with Barratt Redrow on their research trials and we are now able to showcase what can be achieved with Zero Bills at scale in new housing developments.
“With new homes already being built with solar panels, heat pumps and EV chargers, eliminating home energy bills with our game-changing tariff is now a simple, viable and cost-effective upgrade.”
Oliver Novakovic, Technical & Innovation Director at Barratt Redrow, added:
“Our partnership with Octopus marks our continued research into low and zero-bill living for our customers. By combining Barratt Redrow’s highly energy-efficient homes with Octopus’ Zero Bills technology, we’re helping buyers to cut their energy costs to zero whilst also lowering their carbon footprint.
“This initiative shows how innovation in housebuilding and energy can work hand-in-hand to create homes that are not only more sustainable, but also more affordable for the long term.”
See here for more information.
