Our thinking

Zero Bills

4 October, 2024

Octopus Energy, one the UK’s leading green energy tariff providers, caught our eye this week with a bold new target – to deliver 100,000 “Zero Bills” homes by 2030.

Launched in 2022, the Zero Bills project aims to create homes that are fully kitted out with renewable energy technology, allowing their occupants to pay no energy bills. Octopus has partnered with major home builders to deliver its target, through new developments and retrofitting, and is inspiring some to take the initiative even further, with regional housebuilders Verto and GS8 committing to build all their future homes as “Zero Bills”.

The paradoxical nature of this project makes it particularly intriguing – by delivering more “Zero Bills” homes, Octopus is essentially putting itself out of business, highlighting that, as climate action intensifies, businesses will need to rethink their business models in fundamental ways. The challenge is not just in reducing emissions – it’s also in transforming the way they generate revenue, and we look forward to seeing how Octopus continues to navigate this transition.

With this intriguing proposition, Octopus has set a target that captures the imagination – something we’d like to see more of in a regulatory landscape where target setting is becoming increasingly rigid – and continues to set the bar for the energy industry in the UK, leading the charge towards a future where green living can come at no extra cost.

By Lucy Bell