The tech firms are launching the partnership on a site in Essex where ilke Homes is delivering the UK’s largest zero-carbon housing development.

As part of the launch, two factory-built homes are initially being installed in Stanford-le-Hope. They will come equipped with an air source heat pump, solar panels and battery storage technology. The low-carbon technologies will combine to provide free, clean energy round the clock, with Octopus Energy providing a bespoke tariff.

The homes have been launched as part of ilke ZERO, the UK’s first mainstream zero-carbon housing offering, and comes as ilke Homes grows its pipeline to 3,500 homes – in a sign that modular housing is quickly becoming a mainstream solution to housing delivery.

The two-bedroom semi-detached family homes – being delivered in partnership with Gresham House and SO Resi – form part of a wider 153-home scheme, branded Hope Green. 101 of these homes will be zero-carbon in operation – the most delivered on a single site in the UK – meaning they will generate their own source of energy, helping to drastically reduce emissions produced by utilities such as electricity and heating.

The first two ZERO bills homes, which will be made available for shared ownership, have been precision-engineered along production lines at ilke Homes’ factory in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.

By harnessing artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital design, the modular housing company is capable of creating homes that are incredibly well insulated, meaning less heat escapes and consequently reducing bills. High-performing building fabric is deemed essential for the performance of low-carbon technologies.

To reach the ZERO bills specification, as it is branded, ilke Homes on behalf of Gresham House will install low-carbon technologies to provide cheap, clean energy. Solar panels on the roof will generate electricity for the home and its heat pump, which provides all heating and hot water.

The homes will also be equipped with battery technology to store any excess green electricity the solar panels generate. By using a battery, the home will be able to store this energy for later use.

Launched in July 2021, ilke ZERO aims to deliver thousands of operational zero-carbon homes per year for major investors, housing associations, and councils across the UK. The homes have already been trialled in London, Newcastle, Gateshead, Newark, and Sunderland, and are now ready to be rolled out en masse.

Giles Carter, CEO at ilke Homes, said: “Our strategic partnership with Octopus Energy Group is the next milestone on our ilke ZERO journey. The premise of this partnership is to both empower consumers, who are faced with one of the worst cost-of-living crises in decades, and demonstrate that net-zero and construction can work hand in hand.

“Thanks to years of intensive research and development, we have successfully created a ready-to-go, highly energy-efficient solution to housing delivery – one which will help investors future-proof investments against government policy, help meet strict ESG criteria, and allow for revenue streams to be accessed as quick as possible due to a significant reduction in construction programmes.”

Greg Jackson, founder of Octopus Energy Group, said: “This breakthrough partnership debunks a long-standing myth – that cleaner energy will mean higher bills for consumers. Instead, people living in these homes won’t be paying for energy at all.

“This is yet another demonstration that clean energy is cheap energy, and the best answer to the fossil fuel crisis is accelerating the transition to renewables.”

Alistair Wardell, Investment Director at Gresham House, said: “Our deal with ilke Homes provides an innovative and much-needed solution to the historic undersupply of shared ownership housing in the Southeast of England. Gresham House is committed to helping alleviate the shortage of affordable housing in the UK and to delivering sustainable and innovative solutions to this problem.

“This project will deliver real-world benefits to residents in Hope Green and is another step on the journey towards widespread development of net zero residential homes across the UK.”

Kush Rawal, director of residential investment at SO Resi, said: “The housing sector clearly has a big part to play in driving down carbon emissions and moving towards more sustainable methods of construction and environmentally friendly homes. However, we have always stressed that it is important to strike a balance and work with partners such as ilke Homes and Gresham House to ensure a move to green living remains affordable for the consumer, otherwise we risk creating a two-tier society where being sustainable is only for those who can afford it.

“Innovations such as those within Hope Green put sustainability at their very core and go above and beyond what is expected – particularly within the affordable homes sector. Our priority is always to ensure housing remains accessible to those who need it most, and it is an exciting milestone that the pioneering bill free house will be available through shared ownership rather than to the highest bidder.”