From reducing water use to taking advantage of built-in energy-efficient features, there are plenty of ways you can save money on energy bills while living in a new Persimmon home.
A new build home offers more than just a fresh start. It also gives you an opportunity to embrace energy efficiency from the get-go.
In this guide, we'll take a look at practical energy-saving tips tailored for your new Persimmon home. We'll also delve into the smart home solutions that come with your home, letting you enjoy enhanced energy efficiency every day.
While our new build homes come with many energy-saving features, there are additional steps you can take to further reduce your energy consumption.
With just a few simple tweaks to your daily routine, you could see a difference in your energy bills over time - and feel good in the knowledge that you're reducing your impact on the environment.
Whether you're a seasoned homeowner or a first-time buyer, these tips could help you make informed decisions and enjoy a greener, more sustainable home.
It might seem obvious, but natural light is great for our health and completely free. On sunny days, open curtains and blinds to let the light pour in and reduce the need for artificial lighting.
In a similar way, on mild sunny days let the sun do some of the work for you - hang clothes outside to air dry so you don't use unnecessary energy tumble-drying. During those British heatwaves, use blinds and curtains to block the sun's heat to reduce the need for indoor fans.
Our new homes come with brand new energy-efficient appliances, so they should last years without needing replacing. Luckily they're also covered by a 10-year New Homes warranty, this first 2 years of which is covered directly by us. So, if you do need any repairs to keep them in top working order, we'll be able to help.
Your new efficient heating system will help you save money on bills from the get-go. To make sure everything keeps running efficiently, however, it's important to do things like getting your boiler serviced, running your heating system at the most efficient settings, or maintaining your Air Source Heat Pump if you have one.
We use a surprising amount of energy just in washing our clothes. Figures from the Energy Saving Trust show that by running your washing machine on a cooler 30-degree cycle, and doing one less wash each week, you could save around £24 a year. Small differences like this add up.
All new Persimmon homes come with a range of energy-efficient features as standard, helping you to cut your energy bills by up to £183 each month compared to if you bought an older property.
These include:
And that's not all. Our newer Eco Range offers enhanced energy efficiency for reduced carbon emissions. This means that with an Eco Range home you could benefit from features such as solar panels, electric vehicle charging and waste water heat recovery - going that step further for the planet and your purse.
We spoke to Persimmon homeowner Lyndsey (@journey_to_our_clayton_corner) about why buying new was a greener choice for her family, and how her household running costs have gone down as a result. Here's her first hand experience of saving money in a new build home.
All images below credited to @journey_to_our_clayton_corner
Before buying our first Persimmon home back in 2012, a Hanbury, we lived in an older property where solid fuel was used for both heating and hot water, in addition to an electric meter. This was extremely expensive and often an inconvenience, especially with a young child. We needed to pay for coal, wood, a chimney sweep and find stores that offered a top-up service for our electricity.
All these factors came with their difficulties and also contributed negatively to our holistic health, specifically our little boy who has asthma and an allergy to dust.
The idea of buying a new build had never crossed our minds until we spoke with a sales rep at Persimmon. We were given information about the measures taken to make each property sustainable, including:
After learning of these benefits, we were instantly sold!
It didn’t take us long to see these benefits in action. When we moved into our new home in December 2012, we walked in and even without heating or carpets the house was naturally warm. As a consequence of the insulation used, we also instantly saw a reduction in the cost of both gas and electric by at least 50% compared to our previous property. For the period of 2012- 2019 our bills combined never exceeded £100.
This meant that upon buying our second Persimmon home, a Clayton Corner, we were already well aware of the sustainable and economic benefits. Our gas for the previous winter cost just £38 for the whole season, while our water is £60 per month for a family of four.
As well as enjoying the sustainable benefits of living in a new home, we take whatever simple steps we can to reduce our carbon footprint.
As part of our daily lives, we recycle as much as possible and reuse items around the house. For example, when we go to the supermarket I take reusable bags, and also buy items which are in recyclable containers or refill packages rather than single-use plastic containers. I then decant household products and certain foods into containers throughout our home.
To avoid the overuse of water and electricity, I wait until I have a full sinkload before washing up, and don’t have a dishwasher. Where possible I also avoid the use of a dryer by hanging my washing on a clothes horse or on a clothes line outdoors.
When it comes to décor, we love to upcycle. We’ve recently upcycled our extremely old dining table, and used old scaffolding boards to make shelving. The plan is to continue upcycling throughout our home, making changes by reusing items we already own.
You can see more of Lyndsey's beautiful home on her Instagram account, @journey_to_our_clayton_corner
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