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Image: Credit: Strata and British Gas
British Gas is taking a bold step toward sustainable living with the launch of Low Carbon Homes, an innovative pilot program in collaboration with homebuilder Strata and heat pump manufacturer Daikin. This initiative aims to equip new-build homes with cutting-edge low-carbon technology, setting the stage for a greener future in line with The Future Homes Standard.
Sustainable Tech at No Extra Cost
Homeowners participating in the pilot will move into houses outfitted with a full suite of low-carbon innovations—all at no additional cost to the housebuilder or buyer. Each home will feature a 6-8 kWh Daikin air source heat pump, 4 kWh solar panels, 5 kWh battery storage, a Hive EV charger, and a Hive thermostat. These systems will be seamlessly integrated into Hive’s award-winning app, giving homeowners centralized visibility and control over their energy usage.
Trial Launch in Rotherham
The first phase of the pilot will launch at Strata’s “Breathe” development in Kiveton, Rotherham. As an added incentive, British Gas offers participants access to a fixed-rate tailored energy tariff and assigns each homeowner a dedicated British Gas energy manager to optimize energy use and ensure minimal bills without compromising comfort.
A Smarter, Greener Home
At the heart of these homes is the Hive Hub, an intelligent system that connects to the home’s Wi-Fi network, acting as the central operating system for all sustainable technology. The Hub optimizes energy schedules and budgets for maximum efficiency and savings. Through the Hive app, homeowners can refine their energy use by setting schedules, monitoring spending, and letting the Hub work to minimize bills.
Scaling Sustainable Living
Strata, which builds over 700 homes annually, is working alongside British Gas and Daikin to identify additional locations for expanding this initiative. Following the successful rollout of the Breathe development, this partnership has the potential to redefine sustainable housing across the UK.
Low-carbon homes are more than a pilot program—they’re a vision of how technology and collaboration can empower homeowners to live sustainably without sacrificing comfort. By seamlessly integrating renewable energy sources, smart technology, and proactive energy management, British Gas is setting a new standard for the homes of tomorrow.
"Through this partnership, we are empowering homeowners with the latest green technology and providing them with more control and transparency over their energy usage." Catherine O’Kelly, Managing Director at British Gas Energy
Catherine O’Kelly, Managing Director at British Gas Energy, said: “We are delighted to have worked with Strata to create a new homes proposition that is not only sustainable but scalable. Through this partnership, we are empowering homeowners with the latest green technology and providing them with more control and transparency over their energy usage.
“Our proposition will allow new build development sites to equip their properties with the very best low-carbon technology, meet new legislative requirements, and deliver energy-efficient homes that are fit for the future. This is all part of our ambition to energise a greener, fairer future.”
Lee Wilson, Head of Product and Design at Strata, said: "We're thrilled to be partnering with British Gas to bring more energy-efficient homes to market. This collaboration will allow us to gather necessary data and learnings, from the initial design and installation of the product through to live performance records in occupied homes, so we can shape and educate what energy usage and running costs look like for customers in our future homes. We're incredibly excited to see the data that comes back from this trial and continue to make more carbon and energy efficiencies for our customers."
Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said: “This fantastic partnership will deliver the low-carbon, energy-saving homes of the future, protecting households from high energy bills and delivering warmer homes.
“It fits with our Warm Homes Plan, which will deliver millions of home improvements by installing low-carbon heating – such as heat pumps – as we go further and faster to upgrade homes across the UK.”
Iain Bevan, New Business Director - Renewable Heating at Daikin, said: “Daikin are delighted to be working with Strata Homes and British Gas on this important scheme. Connecting Air Source Heat Pumps to technology platforms like Hive is a key part of the UK’s decarbonisation journey, opening up the potential for significant benefit to homeowners and housing developers alike. The team at Daikin look forward to supporting the ongoing development of the customer experience at Stata’s Breathe site.”
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