As energy prices and household utility bills continue to rise, the importance of having an energy efficiency home has never been greater. 

Did you know, according to the House Builders Federation, England has one of the oldest and least energy efficient housing stocks in Europe, with over 70% of our homes built before 1980!? Here at Kivells, we work closely with Burrington Estates, who are at the forefront of high quality new developments across the country, including Maer View in Bude. 

Ensuring Maer View keeps Burrington Estates’ reputation for excellence moving forward into a cleaner, more environmentally friendly world, the collection of homes benefit from sustainable technology, promoting a greener lifestyle and paving the way for future generations. 

Air-source heat pumps provide underfloor heating to the ground floor feature in every property, in addition to wildlife friendly bee bricks, with the option for PV solar panels and electric car charging points to be added to each home. 

With new build home buyers saving over £500 million a year in energy bills, as well as collectively reducing carbon emissions by over 500,000 tonnes, if you’re looking to move or purchase your first home, new builds are highly worth considering: 

• - On average, buyers of new homes save over £2,000 on household bills per property each year, equivalent to £174 a month. 
• - For buyers of houses, as opposed to flats the savings are even greater at £216 per month, an annual saving of £2,600. 
• - With energy prices set to rise again the Spring, the savings that new builds can offer consumers will increase even further, rising to an average of £2,510.73 a year, and £3,117.85 for houses. 
• - New build properties are significantly more environmentally friendly than older equivalent properties, emitting just 1.4 tonnes of carbon a year, compared to the 3.6 tonnes that existing properties emit. 
• - New build homes are consistently rated with much higher EPCs than existing dwellings. 

If you’re thinking of purchasing a new build property, please contact our Bude team today who will be able to offer expert advice and further information on the Maer View development; 21 four-bedroom contemporary detached homes on the stunning Cornish coastline. There's only TWO homes remaining, so don't delay! 

Looking to improve your current home’s energy performance? 

If you’re happy in your current home but wish it wasn’t so costly to run, there are ways to improve your energy consumption including; solar power and heating, air source heat pumps and wind energy to name a few. 

Although older homes can be retrofitted, research finds it will cost owners between £6,000 and £8,000 to bring a home up to an EPC rating of C, so the financial payback from utility bills would take years to realise. However, energy efficiency improvements and a higher energy performance certificate (EPC) rating can certainly add value to your property, as much as 14% if your home moves from a rating of G to A, according to Money Supermarket. 

Also, according to a recent survey from UK house builder Redrow, nearly 63 per cent of the 1,730 prospective home buyers surveyed indicated a desire to purchase a sustainable home. What's more, 38 per cent said they intended to buy a property with features such as thermal wall insulation, efficient boilers and renewable energy supplies. In fact, 82 per cent of buyers also said that they would be willing to pay more for a sustainable home. 

If you’re thinking of improving the energy consumption of your home, you may be able to get a grant to help you implement these enhancements. Check which grants may be available to you on GOV.UK. If you would like to know how much your property is currently worth, and find out how you could potentially increase its value, please contact your local Kivells team today. 

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