<p>New build homes save households more than £400 a year on their energy bills and collectively emit almost 600,000 tonnes less carbon compared to older, less efficient properties, according to a report from the Home Builders Federation.</p> <p>HBF’s <a href="https://www.hbf.co.uk/redirect/6e277419/cd01e3e9adbd47ceab3c5a6a99d75d0f/"><span>Greener, Cleaner, Cheaper</span></a> report finds that a new build house alone will save residents an average of £555 annually, with the average new build home producing 2.38 tonnes less carbon each year.</p> <p>The research also shows that new builds help home owners make savings each month, even though they are on average 7.4% larger than older properties.</p> <p>HBF said that with energy bills set to rise by more than 50% from the end of April, “the benefits of a highly energy efficient new home have never been more important”.</p> <p>It also said that new homes could embed energy efficiency while being constructed, with housebuilders able to adapt to new technologies, materials and regulations. Meanwhile, owners of second hand properties “will often find themselves facing disruptive, extensive and costly retrofit works to bring their homes to the same standard”. </p> <p>The report shows that in the year to September 2021, 84% of new build properties received an A or B EPC rating …