We recently caught up with Sarah from The Northern Home, who took a closer look at the sustainability features built into a Story Homes property in her latest video tour. We spoke to her about her approach to sustainable living, what stood out during her visit, and the energy-saving features designed to make every Story home more efficient to live in.
Sustainability is something I think about a lot, both in the way I decorate and the products I choose. When it comes to the home, the choices we make have a real impact – not just on the environment, but on our everyday lives and our bills. I’m always looking for ways to make living at home feel good in every sense, and that includes being mindful of energy and resources.
Honestly, the breadth of it. I knew new builds were generally more energy efficient than older properties, but I hadn’t appreciated just how much thought goes into each home. From the materials used in the build itself to the fixtures and fittings, it’s been considered at every stage, which I think is really impressive.
There are quite a few! Many Story homes are fitted with photovoltaic solar panels on the roof, which generate electricity during daylight hours. That electricity is converted by an inverter and used directly in the home, which can make a real difference to energy bills. All electricity supplied to Story Homes’ new builds is also 100% renewable, backed by the Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) scheme, and all the internal lighting is energy efficient too. The homes are also really well insulated – substantial glass wool and polyisocyanurate insulation at ceiling level and between the roof rafters helps retain heat, which means less energy needed to keep the home warm.
The water-saving measures stood out to me. Story Homes specifically selects sanitaryware and fittings for their efficient water use; dual flush toilets and flow restrictors on taps are fitted as standard. Small things individually, but they add up to meaningful savings over time.
The cavity wall insulation is another good example. It uses a recycled glass material with an A+ BRE Green Guide rating, with zero ozone depletion potential and zero global warming potential. So it’s doing a job inside the home and has strong environmental credentials in itself.
It really did. Every Story Homes development with parking includes an electric vehicle charging point as standard, which meets the government’s criteria for futureproofing new homes. Whether you drive an EV now or are planning to make the switch in the future, your home is ready. That kind of forward-thinking feels really relevant right now.
This was something I found really interesting. Story Homes uses sustainably sourced timber throughout the build, with full traceability through the Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forest Management certifications. Knowing that the materials used to construct the home itself have been responsibly sourced adds another layer to what sustainable living in a new build really means.
I’d say it’s worth looking beyond the aesthetics – though Story Homes absolutely delivers on those too! The sustainable features are already built in; you’re not having to retrofit anything or make costly upgrades down the line. A new build from Story Homes produces significantly lower CO2 emissions than an older property and uses less energy to run. For anyone who wants a home that works harder for the environment and for their finances, it’s a really compelling option.