The Ryves Vale development by Newland Homes launched this month to much fanfare, with more than 800 people registering an interest to find out more about the 32 zero carbon houses under construction on Clevedon Road in Tickenham.

As the cost of living continues to rise, and with many people facing unprecedented energy bills, these homes are attracting interest thanks to their use of renewable energy from free, natural sources that will never run out, such as solar and wind power.

The 32 highly-efficient homes have the potential to produce more energy than the building itself requires to run and the excess can be sold back to the National Grid.

The idea of a house with much lower energy bills is appealing to many in the current climate, and they are better for the environment too as the homes don’t rely on fossil fuels.

Solar panels on the roof capture renewable energy by absorbing sunlight and the homes have been orientated to maximise solar gain. This energy will be used for electricity and will power the home’s air source heat pump, which provides heating and hot water.

An optional battery allows homeowners to store energy from the solar panels for use when they need it, like for charging an electric vehicle overnight.

Three, four and five bedroom detached homes are available and all properties achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating in excess of 100, placing them firmly in the top energy performance band of A, which is achieved by only two per cent of houses in the UK. Newland Homes has created three new house designs especially for this site, one of which is called the 'Tickenham’.

Marcus Evans, sales and marketing director for Newland Homes, said: “Our homes are the most significant investment we’re ever likely to make and everyone rightly wants to ensure they will be fit for the future.

"It’s extremely expensive to retrofit this kind of energy-saving technology into a home, with an air source heat pump alone costing up to £18,000 to install.

"The demand for these zero carbon homes is testament to the public’s desire to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels whilst also shielding themselves from the spiralling costs of running a home.”