Energy efficient homes

• Loft spaces contain up to 400mm of mineral fibre insulation, reducing the loss of rising heat.
• Our homes use the highest-rated SEDBUK condenser boilers and low heat-loss water cylinders to ensure your water stays hotter for longer.
• All our kitchen appliances have either an A or A+ efficiency rating, while the fittings integrated into kitchens and bathrooms could save up to 25^ litres of water a day per person.
• Energy efficient light bulbs are used wherever possible, which can reduce the energy consumption for lighting in your home by up to 75% to 80%^^ without compromising the quality and feel of the light they produce.

For more information on how we build sustainable homes, download a copy of our guide below.

We typically use two thirds of our water in the bathroom and the amount wasted is astonishing. Cut down the time you spend in the shower by a minute or two and you’ll really notice the difference to water bills. Turning off the tap when you brush your teeth could save you a staggering 3 or more litres per minute.

By switching off lights and appliances in the rooms you’re not using, you could save up to £80 a year+. At night-time, try to avoid leaving mobile phones, tablets and laptops charging as they continue to consume energy even when their charge is full.

There are several ways you can save money whilst being energy efficient and doing your bit for the planet. Did you know turning the thermostat down by just 1ºC could reduce the average heating bill by up to £80**. It is unlikely that you will notice the change in temperature, but you will see the difference to your energy bill. Thermostatic radiator valves allow you to adjust a radiator’s temperature and the kitchen should be set lower than the living room, as other appliances will also give off a little heat.

Nature is of great importance to us too, specifically protecting and preserving our UK wildlife.  Through our national partnership with the RSPB, the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, we’ve found ways to nurture wildlife across all our developments.

We take pride in our conservation efforts for endangered species. Breeding numbers of swifts in the UK have been on the decline since 1995. With clever solutions such as installing Swift Bricks into homes, these beautiful birds will a have safe place to nest. 

We are also helping save the British honeybee, by landscaping our green areas with bee-friendly plants and flowers. As well as making green spaces more pleasant, trees, shrubs and climbers help support local wildlife.

In 2017 across our developments, we planted or retained over 617,500 trees and shrubs and created 430 hectares of green spaces++.

These changes can also have a positive effect on your wellbeing as psychological studies claim that green spaces can reduce blood pressure and stress.  It is also suggested that green spaces boost levels of physical activity, resulting in a happier and healthier lifestyle.  Good for you and the environment too.

We know it’s important that where you live is a safe environment, so you can enjoy life at home and in your neighbourhood happy and worry free. This is why we work further to ensure safety is of the upmost importance to us too.

We respond to advice and community consultations from local residents, such as on our Wilmslow development, which contributed to building a new footpath along a road where there wasn’t one previously and widening existing footpaths in some parts as an extra safety measure. 

We also have many of our own initiatives to increase safety across our developments, including designing roads that encourage drivers to maintain a 20mph speed limit; and ensuring there is sufficient external lighting around our homes and neighbourhoods so you feel safe and secure. 

Within the home, our technical team have developed windows and doors that remain firmly locked from the outside, keeping your house secure. However, in the case of an emergency, their design enables a quick turn of the lock from the inside allowing for an easy exit should you need to leave your home in a hurry. Smoke alarms which are hardwired into every home, are also featured, giving you further peace of mind when it comes to protecting you and your family. 

We work with suppliers who have or are working towards ISO14001 - the world’s most popular standard for environmental management.

All of our timber procured through Group timber agreements is responsibly sourced, minimising deforestation. It’s either FSC approved (Forestry Stewardship Council) or PEFC approved (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). We always try to minimise our impact on the local and wider environment as much as we can so we use thermal and acoustic insulating materials and other substances that have a Zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and low or zero Global Warming Potential (GWP). This means that no harmful materials are used in their manufacture.

We work with suppliers who provide high quality, recycled materials, with 70,500 of our windows made from 14% recycled PVC.

We strive to ensure that our day-to-day practices also reflect our commitment to sustainability. We’ve reduced plasterboard wastage by an estimated 487 tonnes in 2017 by right-sizing the plasterboard we use to build our homes.  Also, changes made, like those in our decorative lighting across an estimated 500 UK show homes are estimated to reduce electric carbon emissions by approximately 682 tonnes every year>.

The results of all of this are that our new homes are not only comfortable for you but they also minimise the impact on the world we live in too.

Find out more on our sustainable ways of working here. 

* Awarded to Barratt Developments PLC in 2017

** Zero Carbon Hub publication www.zerocarbonhub.org/sites/default/files/
resources/reports/Annual_Household_Energy_Spend_
Infographic.pdf

 ^ Compared to the UK average consumption per person per day 

^^ www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Electricity/Lighting/Lighting-products/Energy-saving-light-bulbs

** www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Heating-and-hot-water/Thermostats-and-controls

+ Energy Savings Trust 2017 www.uswitch.com/energy-saving/guides/standby-savers/

> We measure carbon in tonnes of carbon equivalent (CO2e), based on 8 hours running time per day 7 days per week, using 2015 DEFRA Carbon Conversion factors.