Savills Portugal

With minds on rising energy bills, consumer sentiment is increasing towards more sustainable ‘green homes’. In a recent client survey conducted by our research team 77 per cent of respondents said that the potential energy consumption of their next property had become more important to them.

While retrofitting solutions are being pioneered for older housing stock, developers building new homes have the advantage of starting with a blank canvas – they can take into consideration energy efficiency and sustainability from the outset at build stage, incorporating elements such as electric vehicle charging points, heat pumps and designs which support biodiversity.

Energy Performance Certificates, which in the case of new build are assigned once the property is ready for occupation, are a quick way to gauge the green credentials of a property you are interested in buying. Those rated A to C are the most energy efficient and our research shows that the majority of new builds that transacted between 2018 and 2020 achieved a ‘B’ rating compared with a ‘D’ for a secondhand detached, semi-detached or terraced property and ‘C’ for a secondhand flat. Savills analysis calculates there to be an average 55 per cent saving on annual ‘core’ energy costs (lighting, heating and hot water) when purchasing new build over secondhand.

Here’s our pick of eco new homes currently on the market, including a gas-free development in London, the birthplace of Concorde where all homes are A and B rated, and a collection of low carbon homes in Leeds.