New Build Homes Energy Efficiency

New-build homes now use far less energy than older houses – and the gap is significant. Industry data shows new-build homes are around 21% cheaper to run, with owners of new builds spending around £420 less a year on energy than owners of older homes.

As energy prices continue to fluctuate, this difference matters. So, if you’re weighing up the purchase of an older property against a new build, it’s worth thinking about the advantages a new build can offer. It comes down to a few features working together: how the home is heated, how heat moves through the floors, and how well the walls, roof and windows hold warmth in. Here we show you how new-build homes are more energy efficient…

What an EPC rating actually tells you

Every home for sale in the UK carries an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This gives the home a rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient), based on things like insulation, heating and windows.

Most older UK homes sit around a D rating. New-build homes tend to start much higher, thanks to modern insulation standards and efficient heating built in from the start. A higher EPC rating means lower bills, and it also affects how quickly a home sells – which we’ll come back to later.

Air source heat pumps: how they work

An air source heat pump takes heat from the outside air and moves it indoors, even on a cold day. It works in a similar way to a fridge, but in reverse. Instead of burning gas to create heat, it moves existing heat from one place to another, which uses far less energy overall.

This is why heat pumps have replaced gas boilers in new-build heating. They run on electricity, produce no gas emissions in the home, and typically cost less to run over a year, especially in a well-insulated house. For every unit of electricity a heat pump uses, it can produce three or four units of heat in return. A gas boiler, by contrast, can never produce more heat than the energy it burns, since it creates heat rather than moving it.

Heat pumps also run quietly, with only a small unit sited outside the home, and there’s no flue, no gas supply and no annual gas safety check to arrange. Because the technology has fewer moving parts than a boiler, it also tends to need less maintenance over its lifetime.

The main difference buyers notice day-to-day is how the heat feels. A heat pump heats more gently and steadily than a boiler, rather than in short, hot bursts, which keeps a home at a more consistent temperature throughout the day rather than swinging between warm and cool.

Underfloor heating: Comfort and efficiency

Underfloor heating spreads warmth evenly across a whole room, rather than from one point like a radiator. Because the heat comes from below and rises naturally, rooms feel warm at a lower running temperature than they would with radiators alone.

This pairs well with a heat pump, which works most efficiently at lower, steadier temperatures. The result is a home that feels warm underfoot, with no radiators taking up wall space.

Thermal fabric and glazing: stopping heat escaping in the first place

If heat’s escaping straight through the walls, roof or windows, heating your home will only get you so far. This is where thermal fabric comes in – the insulation built into the walls, floors and roof of a home.

All our developments use enhanced thermal fabric, well above the standard used in most older housing stock. Combined with double or triple glazed windows, this keeps heat inside during winter and out during summer, so your heating system doesn’t have to work as hard.

Why this matters for running costs and resale value

Energy efficiency is not only about lower bills while you live in a home. Recent analysis of property and EPC data shows homes rated C or above tend to sell for 5-8% more than similar homes with a lower rating – and they often sell faster too.

As more buyers and mortgage lenders pay attention to running costs, this gap is likely to grow rather than shrink. A new build’s efficiency is not just a nice-to-have at the point of purchase – it’s a factor that can support the home’s value over time.

Questions worth asking when you compare homes

If you’re weighing up an older home against a new build, a few questions reduce the guesswork:

What is the property’s current EPC rating – and what would it cost to improve it?
How is the home heated, and is that heating system likely to become more expensive to run over time?
When were the windows last replaced, and are they double or triple glazed?
What level of insulation is in the walls and roof?

These questions apply just as well to any older property you’re considering, not only a new build.

Energy efficiency built in

At Roffey Homes, we build energy efficiency into every home we deliver. Air source heat pumps, underfloor heating, enhanced thermal fabric, and double or triple glazing – we use every option we can to give you lower running costs and comfort from day one.

If you’d like to see our energy-efficient homes for yourself, explore Lindfield Place and Meadow Gate.

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New build homes energy efficiency: What heat pumps, underfloor heating and better fabric mean for your bills

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