Housing Secretary Launches World’s Largest Zero Bills Development Showcasing The First Community Microgrid to Guarantee No Home Energy Bills

9th December 2025, London, UK – The Right Hon. Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, visited Carpenters Yard, a landmark new neighbourhood comprising 113 market-leading sustainable homes in Thornwood, Epping Forest to mark the formal launch of the world’s largest community microgrid. 

Carpenters Yard has been built by gs8, the award-winning UK housebuilder specialising in planet positive homes and neighbourhoods in partnership with Octopus Energy, and was funded by Octopus Capital, an impact-driven asset manager.

Carpenters Yard features 78 design-led private homes and 35 affordable homes that are all eligible for Octopus Energy’s Zero Bills tariff. The affordable homes have been acquired by Octopus Capital’s Affordable Housing Fund. Of these 35 homes, all built to the same market-leading performance standards as the private homes, 20 are allocated for affordable rent and 15 will be shared ownership. Housing management services will be provided by CHP, the largest not-for-profit housing association in Essex.

Launched in 2022, Octopus Energy’s Zero Bills is a world-first tariff that lets customers move into homes packed with cutting-edge green tech – including a heat pump, a battery and solar panels – with no home energy bills for at least 5-10 years.* 

Visiting the scheme alongside gs8’s co-founders Josh Gordon and Ben Spencer, their strategic advisor Baroness Luciana Berger, as well as Octopus Capital’s Head of Affordable Housing, Jack Burnham, the Housing Secretary officially activated the world’s largest Zero Bills development, showcasing the first community microgrid to guarantee no home energy bills for all residents – private and affordable.  This system includes centralised battery storage that will enable on-site renewable energy to be distributed efficiently between all homes across the development. 

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: "Carpenter's Yard is what the future of British housing can and should look like - high-quality homes that slash everyday costs for working people and families.

“We’re taking long-overdue action to fix the housing crisis and build the right homes with the right infrastructure. This is backed by our historic £39 billion to accelerate social and affordable housebuilding, alongside driving up standards across the board to provide safe and secure housing for all.”  

Josh Gordon, Co-Founder of gs8, said: “By combining gs8’s planet positive approach with Octopus Capital’s purpose-led investment, and Octopus Energy’s pioneering technology, we’ve created a community where people can live in high-quality, design-led homes with zero energy bills. We are incredibly proud to show the Housing Secretary our blueprint for how to deliver planet positive, energy-efficient and climate resilient homes at scale”

Jack Burnham, Head of Affordable Housing at Octopus Capital, said: “Carpenter’s Yard is a perfect example of the powerful role long-term capital can play in transforming housing. By combining institutional investment and gs8’s cutting-edge homebuilding innovation, alongside the Housing Secretary’s support, we’re proving that affordability and sustainability can go hand in hand. This is a glimpse into the future of housing.”

Carpenters Yard is built in line with gs8’s Planet Positive Framework, with all non-contaminated waste on site reused wherever possible and no use of skips, with no waste to landfill. The carbon stored in the homes and the landscaping exceeds the embodied carbon needed to build and maintain them.

The timber-frame homes are approximately 15 times more efficient than the UK standard for airtightness, due to gs8’s proprietary build system and processes. As part of gs8’s framework, potable water usage of 75 litres per person per day is achieved, along with a commitment to sourcing timber solely from UK sustainable forestry, using primarily bio-based and materials with high recycled content, and homes that are able to remain passively ambient throughout changing conditions. 

Embedding a strong focus on community living has been a core design principle for Carpenters Yard. As a result, the scheme features a wealth of shared spaces, including community allotments, a fitness centre, a new community hub, a new office for the local Parish Council, a local grocery store with a community café, a communal DIY and reuse centre, an electric bicycle scheme offered in partnership with Volt, and electric car club vehicles offered in partnership with Nissan, solely for the use of residents.

Carpenters Yard’s internal specification features bespoke handcrafted kitchen cabinets with worktops made from 100% recycled glass and designed to resemble quartz, bathroom feature walls made from recycled plastics, courtesy of Smile Plastics based in Wales and bio-based plasters from Adaptavate based in Bristol. These unique materials ensure that each home tells a story and provides a space that residents can be proud to call home. The properties also come with dedicated space for home working, generous loft and hallway storage, and utility rooms.

A collection of two, three and four bedroom homes at Carpenters Yard starting from £500,000. The development will see its first completions from Spring 2026.

For more information visit: www.carpentersyard.com

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

* EV charging is not included and is billed separately. 

About gs8

Residential developers and contractors, gs8 are pioneers in developing Planet Positive homes and are the UK market leaders. gs8 is a multidisciplinary business, delivering primarily its own projects alongside partnerships with organisations such as The Crown Estate. Established in 2014, gs8 has been responsible for the delivery of over 1,000 homes in London and the Home Counties, with a live pipeline of over 2,000 homes. gs8 was awarded three RIBA prizes in 2024, including the RIBA London Sustainability Award.

For further information, visit www.gs8.co.uk 

Press Contacts

Anna Geffert
HERA Communication Strategies
Email: gs8@heracomms.com
Tel: +44 (0) 7773 046 337

About Octopus Capital 

Octopus Capital, part of Octopus Investments, is a B-Corp certified asset manager investing in the people, ideas and industries that will change the world. Backed by our rich heritage in pioneering new investment classes, we invest with purpose into the areas we believe can have the greatest impact for institutional investors and the world around us. We support our clients' investment objectives with impact-focused strategies aligned to solving the world’s greatest challenges and centred on three vital asset classes: real estate, infrastructure and private debt.  

Octopus Investments has £10 billion* funds under management.  

*Funds Under Management data includes undrawn commitments, funds under advisory mandates and funds monitored, and is based upon the latest information available at the time of the calculation. The figure includes Octopus Investments, Octopus AIF Management and Octopus Investments Australia. As of 30th September 2025. 

Press Contacts 

Deanna Green 

Email: deanna.green@octopusinvestments.com
Tel: +44 (0)7719071215

About Octopus Energy Group

Octopus Energy is a global clean energy and technology business, driving the affordable, green energy system of the future. Under its own retail brand, Octopus delivers world-class customer service and cutting-edge energy products to over 10 million households globally.

The company is driving the electrification of heat and transport through smart tariffs and innovative clean tech, with operations spanning 27 countries and the entire energy value chain. It operates a £7 billion renewables portfolio as well as thriving EV leasing, heat pump, and solar businesses.

Backed by pension funds, investors and energy giants, Octopus Energy Group businesses deliver cheaper, greener energy and cutting-edge tech to countries and customers worldwide.

For more information, check out our website.

Press Contacts

Octopus Energy Group

press@octoenergy.com 

+44 (0)20 4530 8369

Zero Bills Contacts

zerobills@octopus.energy