Developments

Are new build homes more energy efficient?

7 January 2026

The weather has taken a turn since the sunnier days of summer, and as colder nights start to draw in, homeowners find themselves wondering how to keep their homes warm in winter. 

But one of the best approaches starts long before you start feeling chilly in your home. In fact, it begins near the start of your house-hunting journey: choosing to move into a new build home. 

But, are new build homes really more energy efficient than older properties? And, what are some of the best home insulation tips for winter that will maximise the comfort of your new Shared Ownership property? Let’s discuss the essentials that you need to know. 

New build home energy efficiency: the facts

It’s often said that new builds (like all of our Shared Ownership properties) are more energy efficient than older homes, but is this really the case? As it turns out, stats and data from recent UK studies indicate there’s a lot of truth to these claims: 

• New builds receive higher ratings: The Energy Performance Certificate rating (EPC) is a marker of how energy efficient a property is. 86% of new builds have an A or B rating, whereas less than 5% of older properties can achieve this high certification. 
• Cheaper heating and lighting: According to EPC data, the average new build homeowner will pay around £800 a year for their heating, hot water and lighting, whereas owners of older homes could pay an average of £1,789 – nearly £1,000 more for the same services.
• Efficiency is always improving: The latest ONS research indicates that newer homes are consistently improving when it comes to energy efficiency. Homes from 2008 – 2013 had a median EPC score of 82, whereas homes built between 2020 – 2025 scored 84. 

All of our Shared Ownership properties are considered new build homes, so you can rest assured that when you move in, you’ll benefit from improved regulations and practices that keep your home warm in winter. 

This is due to modern amenities like energy-efficient appliances, brand-new electric boilers, superior heat pumps, double-glazed windows, internal insulation that meets all regulatory standards, and low-energy LED lighting.  

Maximise your comfort with our home insulation tips for winter

Even with the very best insulation built into the construction of your new Shared Ownership home, there are a number of ways that you can keep your home warm in winter – no matter how chilly it gets outside.

Seal draughts to keep heat in

All of our Shared Ownership homes are built with modern windows and doors, which keep heat in much more effectively than older properties. But you can still make sure these fittings are performing as well as they possibly can. 

One of the easiest ways to do this is with a draught excluder below your front door, or draught-proofing strips around your windows. These simple yet effective tools help to keep cold air from rushing into your home, preventing your heating from having to work harder throughout winter.

Thermal heat detectors can also be a handy way of seeing where the cold air is coming from, which gives you a target to work on. Though these are more useful for older properties that have many issues, rather than new build homes that utilise better insulation. 

Keep your radiators performing at their best

Radiators are an essential part of keeping your home warm in winter, but it can be easy to set and forget them. While they’ll keep chugging along regardless, the lack of TLC might eventually lead them to perform less than they could. 

Instead, make sure to regularly bleed your radiators. This simple process involves releasing trapped air from within the system, which can prevent it from heating up unevenly when you need them most. 

Also consider installing reflector panels behind radiators, which can reflect heat back into the room rather than having it absorbed into the walls. You could also look into thermally-powered fans, which can be positioned on radiators and help to circulate warm air more effectively. 

Use your curtains with purpose

This one doesn’t actually require anything new or expensive, but instead uses what you’ll already have in your new Shared Ownership home. Try to get into the habit of opening your curtains first thing in the morning, and making sure that they’re shut when the sun starts to go down in the late afternoon and into the evening. 

By throwing open your curtains when the sun is out, you’ll heat up your home using effective (and free!) solar energy throughout the day. Shutting your curtains at night helps to keep this heat in, and if you replace your curtains with thicker, energy-efficient alternatives, the effect of this is amplified.