Octopus Energy and Santander have launched the UK's first mortgage from a high-street bank designed specifically for Octopus Zero Bills homes.

The new mortgage is available on selected newbuild homes eligible for a guaranteed 10 years of no home energy bills under Octopus' Zero Bills energy tariff. Launched in 2022, Zero Bills allows customers to move into homes using green technology such as heat pumps and battery and solar panels.

The announcement comes following announcement of the Future Homes Standard, which requires new homes to include technologies like heat pumps and solar panels.
Santander’s latest Tomorrow's Homes research shows that more than half (52 per cent) of UK adults believe that improving the energy efficiency of their home would have a significant impact on their lives, with eight in 10 (80 per cent) saying reducing their energy bills is the main motivation for making home improvements.

Ben Merritt, head of mortgages, Santander UK, said: "By taking into account the 10-year Zero Bills guarantee from Octopus, this provides greater flexibility in the amount some customers are able to borrow, helping more people access homes that are designed to be energy efficient and more affordable to run.”

So far, Octopus has approved over 6,000 Zero Bills homes through partnerships with leading developers, such as Vistry, Thakeham, Wates and gs8, and aims to deliver 100,000 Zero Bills homes by 2030, rolling out the initiative in Germany, France, New Zealand, and the UK.

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