A selection of eco-friendly homes for Earth Day

To mark Earth Day, the UK’s biggest property website Rightmove shares a selection of eco-friendly homes with an A rated Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

An ‘A EPC’ rating is the highest a home can be given for energy efficiency.

Rightmove’s data shows that there has been a steady increase in the number of Estate Agent listings mentioning higher EPC ratings, with the proportion of listings for sale mentioning A-C EPC ratings more than doubling (+104%) compared to pre-pandemic 2019.

However, of homes available for sale on Rightmove with an EPC certificate, less than 1% are rated ‘A’. The majority (57%) of homes for sale are still below a C rating.

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s Director of Property Science, says: “It’s promising that an increasing proportion of agents are using higher EPC ratings as a key selling point in their listings, as awareness continues to grow over the importance of going greener in all areas of society. However, there is still work to be done to improve the availability of more energy-efficient homes for movers, and help inform movers of the benefits of eco-friendly home features.”

Phil Morris, founder of Zero Carbon Lettings Ltd., says: “We have seen a clear increase in the number of buyers seeking high-quality, eco-friendly housing but there still is a real lack of suitable properties in the UK. Just last month, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero confirmed that the main source of emissions from residential buildings is the use of natural gas for heating and cooking and that the homes sector has only seen a 7.2% drop in emissions, suggesting room for improvement. As we are all working towards a more sustainable future, demand for greener homes will only intensify and requires developers to step up to the plate and do their part sooner rather than later.”

Marcus Evans, Sales & Marketing Director for Newland Homes, says: “Earth Day is a poignant reminder of our responsibility to safeguard the planet for future generations. Our zero carbon homes appeal to people who wish to live in a modern, purposeful home with a lighter carbon footprint. Homeowners don’t want to depend on fossil fuels, and they are increasingly seeking homes which make a difference, without compromising on comfort.”

Check out these striking eco-friendly homes all with an ‘EPC A’ rating on Rightmove:

1. Sustainable lake house in Southampton – £4,950,000

• Designed by Huf Haus, this property was granted Paragraph 55 planning due to the high specification of the build and the innovative design, a house designed as a bridge over a lake
• Resembling a modern and opulent take on a Southeast Asian long house, the architecture creates a Zen like gateway into nature, an uplifting space for relaxation and rejuvenation
• Featuring an air source heat pump, a solar panelled roof, triple glazed windows and an electric charging point, this home is the ultimate eco-friendly property nestled in nature

 

2. A contemporary converted former Dutch barn in Carlisle – £600,000

• Raven House is a semi-detached home in the countryside that has been finished to a high specification with VELFAC triple glazing and the latest generation of solar panels with intelligent controls
• The house also features an EV charger and features 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms

 

3. 3-bedroom penthouse apartment in London – £2,995,000

• Set over the entire third floor with direct lift access and spanning 2068 sq. ft, this luxury penthouse boats net zero carbon credentials
• Featuring a 65m2 green ‘living wall’, solar panels & electric car charging points
• Over a year, the 61 sqm living wall removes 20.42kg of pollution, stores 471.53kg of carbon, handles 134.57kg of carbon sequestration, produces 358.68kg of oxygen annually, and contributes to a cooler climate, reducing the need for air conditioning and cutting CO2 emissions

 

4. Cosy eco-friendly cottage in West Sussex – £750,000

• This eco-friendly home offers characterful accommodation, set in a rural location, with lower-than-average running costs
• The property benefits from 6.6kWp solar panels that produce all the electricity and hot water for the property
• The Smart Home system has a combined KNX and Control 4 smart home system installed that controls all heating, lighting, and AV equipment. The system intelligently controls the heating and lights of the property to maximize energy efficiency

 

5. 7-bedroom modern family home in West Sussex – £3,975,000

• Oaklands is an eco-friendly family home with sustainable features, including solar power and air source heat pumps
• The home runs on solar power, with PV panels providing energy during the day. Excess energy is stored in two Solar Edge batteries, which discharge to provide power for nighttime use and the cycle begins again the next day
• Outside you will find a 17m x 6m pool heated by both solar and air source heat pump, surrounded by landscaped gardens

 

6. Family home situated on a farm in Witnesham – £800,000

• This 4-bedroom modern home sits amongst the rural fields and farm of Witnesham with its slate grey fibre-cement
• Utilising a Fleming Homes frame, the design was inspired by the Passivhaus ultra low energy building guidelines, incorporating triple glazed aluminium and wood windows, solar panels to provide electricity, air source heat pumps for hot water and underfloor heating
• The Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR) system provides a 90% energy efficient way of maintaining a fresh and pleasant atmosphere in the home whilst saving on heating bills. It recycles the heat from the air exiting the house ensuring minimal heat loss

 

ENDS

• For further information please contact Laura Pilch on 07980 721 032 or email pilch@rightmove.co.uk
• For the latest stories, logos and images you can visit the Rightmove Press Centre: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/press-centre/

About Rightmove

• Rightmove has the UK’s largest selection of properties for sale and to rent, and over 80% of all time spent on property portals is on Rightmove
• Rightmove’s purpose is to give everyone the belief that they can make their move by giving people the best place to turn and return to for access to tools and expertise to make it happen
• People can search Rightmove for residential resale, new homes, rentals, commercial property and overseas properties and use tools and information including getting a Mortgage in Principle, checking local sold prices, property valuations, market trends, maps and schools
• Customers include the following key groups: estate agents, lettings agents, new homes developers, commercial property operators and overseas property agents
• Founded in 2000, Rightmove listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2006 and is a member of the FTSE 100 index
• The first Rightmove House Price Index was published in 2002 and is the largest monthly sample of residential property asking prices and housing market activity in the UK