Rightmove is linking with the UK’s largest energy supplier, Octopus, to make it easier for portal users to find greener homes.
As a first step, Rightmove is launching a dedicated ‘Zero Bills’ label for property listings, allowing owners to highlight those homes powered by Octopus’ existing Zero Bills smart tariff. The supplier claims the tariff – which exists on some new-builds – guarantees “no home energy bills for five to 10 years in homes equipped with cutting-edge green tech”.
This is likely to mean those homes with a heat pump, a battery and solar panels.
Rightmove claims that tenants and buyers switching from a typical EPC D rated property to a Zero Bills one could save over £2,350 a year.
Green technology is becoming a bigger selling point in the housing market. Rightmove data shows a 46% increase in mentions of heat pumps and a 37% rise in references to solar panels in property listings year-on-year.
Homeowners are also warming to cleaner tech. Research from Octopus Energy claims that 90% of households with heat pumps say they’re glad they made the switch with 94% saying their homes are as comfortable – or more so – than with their previous gas boiler.
The portal’s chief executive, Johan Svanstrom, comments: “Helping home-movers navigate to a greener future is a priority for Rightmove, and we provide many forms of information for homes-related sustainability.
“We’re excited to partner with Octopus Energy to unlock more opportunities, and drive both awareness and adoption. We’re starting by highlighting Octopus Energy’s innovative energy saving product with a label on applicable new homes listings on our platform.” And Octopus chief executive Greg Jackson adds: “Most people now know someone benefitting from a cost slashing electric car, and savvy homeowners are starting to search for houses with solar panels and heat pumps too.”
