Liverpool City Region launches “zero bills” home

Liverpool has launched a “zero energy bill” home which can reportedly be built within a week using modern methods of construction (MMC).

Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram has unveiled the Future Homes LCR project which the region said signalled its ambition to create low-energy, zero-carbon homes “that directly address the housing crisis, cut energy costs for residents, and help the UK meet its carbon reduction targets”.

The two-storey house, built on the ACC Liverpool waterfront events campus by Wirral-based Starship Group, was constructed and part-assembled off site. It features a light-gauge steel frame clad with insulation and brick slips “to create a super-insulated, airtight building with an energy performance (EPC) rating of 100%”.

It also incorporates solar panels, a battery and heat pump.

The region said that with offsite manufacture, homes can be completed within a week with estimated heating, hot water and lighting bills of £124 a year “or even zero, in some cases”.

The Future Homes LCR scheme is a public-private alliance, aiming to accelerate the development of ultra-low-carbon housing across the region, which it said, would offer a sustainable solution to the housing crisis.

As well as providing homes, the project …