New Housing Developments Go Green

By Author: Gareth Hoyle
Total Articles: 692
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Buying a new home is now not only good for your pocket but is also a great choice for the environment too. Modern developments in energy efficiency standards and products mean that new housing developments have to be that much better at not wasting energy and in some cases have to be able to generate something of their own too.

Energy efficiency

With new housing developments, builders are required by law to insulate roofs and walls, so they design this in to the plans for the building. In existing properties we may retrofit lagging to the loft or get insulation blown into the cavity walls, but these after thought measures can only go so far in protecting our home against heat loss. Indeed, these measures can work out very expensive and a grit deal of hassle in an older property, as filling lofts and walls with insulation that was never designed to be filled, means further ventilation needs to be added to ensure the property remains well ventilated and free from damp and condensation. If energy efficiency is designed in, then walls, windows and other ventilation devices will be built with insulation in mind.

Financial ...
... savings

New housing developments who offer the best in energy efficiency may even feature solar water heating or heat pump technology to generate a proportion of the energy required by the housing right there on site. Even if your new home doesn’t have renewable energy on site, you can be sure the house will have been built to exceptional standards. The new building regulation energy efficiency standards leads to a saving of around £500 every year or more on energy bills when comparing a property in new housing developments with one in older properties.

How do they do it?

Your greener new home will use a number of measures to reduce its impact on the environment. As well as an efficient heating system and high levels of insulation, windows and doors will be double glazed and draughtproofed and any appliances fitted in the kitchens of bathrooms will have been chosen for their energy efficiency rating. Gardens are often supplied with compost bins and toilets use water saving devices.

Redrow.co.uk offer a range of new housing developments on their website, available across many towns and cities in the UK. To learn more, visit their website today.