In England and Wales, many new homes being built now are carbon-neutral. They’re designed to be in line with the the Code For Sustainable Homes and the 2016 target to have all homes in both countries carbon-neutral. So far, though, the code does not apply in Scotland.

But one housebuilder is already anticipating the spread of the new code north of the border. Mactaggart and Mickel’s five-bedroom detached Lomond showhouse at Balgarth Gardens, Doonfoot, Ayrshire, is fitted with a phalanx of eco-kit that the firm estimates will save the new homeowner thousands of pounds each year in household bills.

The builder says that the energy-saving measures added about £40,000 to the cost of building the house. However, this will not be passed on to the buyer. The price — £439,985 — is the same as the other Lomond five-bedroom homes on the development.

Andrew Mickel, a director of the company and chairman of the industry forum Homes for Scotland, says it represents a necessary one-off investment. “All we ask is that whoever buys the house allows us to monitor their progress for a year and gives us information about their utility bills and water usage,” he says. “Will they be happy? Will they be warm enough? Does the technology blend in and work efficiently? These are all questions that need to be answered before we can look to expand the experiment.”

Liz Farrell, Mactaggart and Mickel’s land manager and eco-expert, says the showhouse is the only mainstream Scottish home to comply with the code.

“This is a common-sense response to an issue that consumers remain understandably wary of, given the economic climate,” says Farrell. “They agree in general that making homes sustainable and energy efficient is a good thing, but it may not be something that they feel they want or can afford to invest in.”

The site was chosen because the Balgarth Gardens project fits into an established infrastructure, including cycle routes and public transport links. “It’s a lifestyle proposition. Ideally, people will use a bike, as well as turn off their television when they’re not watching it,” says Farrell. “It was important for us to adapt an already successful commercial house style. We wanted the additions to be unobtrusive, so it’s a regular-looking house. This is what our buyers want.”

In terms of eco-friendliness in Scottish homes, the zenith is Theo and Elaine Leisjer’s Grand Designs-featured home in Balfron, Stirlingshire. For sale at offers over £575,000, the house failed to find a buyer last year and is being rented. Before it was completed in 2005, the couple consulted 27 builders about the project.

Other mainstream builders have their toes in the water, too, such as Stewart Milne, the Aberdonian firm. Its successful Sigma House, at the sustainable energy consultancy BRE’s Innovation Park in Watford, Hertfordshire, is comparable to the Lomond showhome.

Features include underfloor heating powered by a geothermal heat pump, which converts heat extracted from the earth via bore holes in the back garden. Supplying energy for heating and hot water, the ground-source pump will save the average homeowner 75% of heating costs, which amount to about £1,000 per year.

There is also an electronic sensor on the garage that calibrates outside air temperature and adjusts the heating accordingly. A rainwater-harvesting tank supplies “free” water for flushing lavatories and the house is also equipped to use rainwater in domestic appliances. Lavatories are dual flush to reduce water consumption. Super-insulated glazing means that the use of sunlight is maximised and heat loss is minimised. And the timber-frame construction is highly insulated.

Mickel is the first to admit that because there are few pioneers in the field, everything is up for grabs. But therein also lies the rub. “It is one thing doing this as part of a Grand Designs dream home, but another competing in a cost-driven mainstream marketplace,” he says.

“There are no grants available for builders to implement this cultural sea-change and there’s no independent one-stop shop for advice on the best and cheapest solutions. All we can do is hope that the outcomes we get justify the investment we’ve made.”

He says it is important to see the Balgarth Gardens pilot as the first step in a long process. “It’s part of a journey both for housebuilders and homeowners, and if the energy-efficiency message is to endure, things will have to be clearer, easy to follow and, crucially, affordable. It is the first step for us as a company and there’s a nice windfall, too, for whoever buys the showhouse.”

www.macmic.co.uk

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