CREDIT: OCTOPUS ENERGY
Thakeham win Zero Bills Housebuilder of the Year
These homes essentially act as distributed energy assets, stabilising the grid while eliminating the energy costs of their occupants.
Beyond the household The Zero Bills tariff is expanding beyond individual homes too. In Epping, Octopus has launched a microgrid pilot at a development called Carpenters Yard, which encompasses 113 homes, six flats, three commercial units and on-street EV charging.
Rather than individual batteries in each property, the development features a communal grid-scale battery.
“ That model could effectively be applied to a wide variety of buildings,” Nigel suggests, noting that Octopus is testing how the system operates under commercial energy supply rules, which differ from domestic regulations.
Peace of mind: The human impact While the technology is impressive, Nigel believes that the main benefit of a Zero Bills tariff is psychological.
“ The big thing for customers is that you’ re taking away the stress of energy bills which are a very high monthly outgoing but also can be quite variable and quite stressful as they build up in the winter months,” he says.
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