How concerned should you be about the future of a self-built home? From rising energy costs to resource scarcity, is there a need to consider building your home with future-proofed features to ensure energy efficiency, or is it best to leave the future in the hands of our government?

When we think about building a new energy-efficient home for our family, we typically focus on room sizes, the design itself, and maybe positioning for the most sunlight. But when we delve deeper into what truly makes our homes a home, we realise that the simple shelter and comfort they provide is key to a happy and comfortable life. This comfort is made possible by the gas and electricity that keep the lights on, the heating running, the shower hot, and the food cooked. These comforts complete our general hierarchy of needs, and if future decisions affect or reduce our quality of life, we need to be prepared to future-proof our homes so that, whatever happens, our families remain comfortable all year round.

In this unique, one-off article, we’ll explore the most likely challenges we could face in the next 10-15 years and how innovative home designs and modular construction practices can mitigate these concerns. Let’s begin!

Rising Costs of Energy

In recent years, we’ve all felt the effects of significant increases in electricity costs—whether it was sensing the worry from parents over the winter months or seeing family and friends make lifestyle changes to pay the inflated costs.

We won’t go into a history lesson of why (global energy market volatility, geopolitical tensions, and the ongoing transition to greener energy sources), but to get into the numbers: from 2023, the average annual electricity bill for a typical household is around £1,300 to £1,500, depending on usage and region. For a household with a median income of £32,300 (in 2023), this is around 5% of your salary. This may not sound like much but when we compare it to a few years back—in 2020, the average annual electricity bill was approximately £600 to £700—we see that, in just a few years, the cost of electricity has doubled! Yikes!

What Could Future Electricity Costs Look Like?

What can we expect in the future? Say in 5, 10, or even 15 years?

Industry Projections: Some analysts suggest that without significant intervention, household electricity bills could increase by 50% or more by 2038, driven by factors such as infrastructure upgrades, increased demand for electricity (especially from electric vehicles), and inflation. 50%??? Why so much, you may be thinking.

It’s a bit of a long story, but here’s a quick summary: The UK electricity market is dominated by a few large companies, including British Gas (Centrica), EDF Energy, E.ON UK, Npower (now part of E.ON UK), Scottish Power, and SSE (now part of OVO Energy). These companies control the majority of the domestic electricity supply, with many being owned by larger international corporations. For example, EDF Energy is owned by the French state-owned EDF Group, and E.ON UK is part of the German E.ON Group. This international ownership means that profits generated from UK consumers often benefit foreign shareholders. These companies have faced criticism for profiting from rising energy prices. For instance, while wholesale energy costs have fluctuated, many of these providers have maintained or even increased their profit margins by passing costs onto consumers. This has led to calls for greater regulation and transparency in pricing.

Gosh, What About Gas? Is Gas Any Better?

It’s no surprise that the UK is heavily reliant on natural gas, not only for heating homes but also for generating electricity. As of 2023, around 40% of the UK’s electricity is generated from natural gas, and a large majority of homes use gas for heating. Since we don’t have much of a natural supply, we import a significant portion of our natural gas, primarily from Norway and the Netherlands, making the UK vulnerable to global market fluctuations and geopolitical tensions.

But fortunately, for the planet and our own pockets, the UK government has committed to reducing carbon emissions significantly as part of its climate goals, including achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This will necessitate a reduction in the use of fossil fuels, including natural gas. Still, in the next 15-20 years, as we reduce reliance on natural gas, prices are likely to increase as it becomes a less common and potentially more regulated resource. This makes the case for future-proofing homes with alternative, sustainable energy sources even stronger, ensuring homeowners are protected from both environmental and financial risks associated with continued gas use.

Should I Be Concerned About Water Conservation?

I don’t want to be bearer of bad news but the short answer is yes. Despite the UK’s wet climate, increasing concerns about water scarcity persist. The Environment Agency warns that parts of England could face significant water shortages by 2050 if no action is taken. This makes future-proofing homes with water-saving technologies essential for long-term sustainability.

Future-Proofing Water Solutions:

• Aerated Showerheads & Taps: Reduce water consumption by up to 40% without sacrificing pressure and the comfort of your shower.

• Full Water Recycling Systems: These advanced systems can recycle all of the wastewater that you use and clean it for fresh drinking water. A bit like having a mini wastewater treatment at home, pretty impressive!

Future-Proofing with Energy-Independent Homes

Wouldn’t you love to use as much energy as you wanted—to cook up a storm, feel warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and do everything you need to live a comfortable life—without the intensive energy bills? Well with a modular Passive Home, you can certainly have your cake and eat it! By choosing a home that is built to a Passive House design and paired with green technologies will save you worry and future expenses and offers a path to low-carbon living and long-term savings.

Does This Cost a Fortune to Implement?

Quite the contrary. Before we break down the costs of a Passive House home with all the bells and whistles compared to traditional bricks and mortar, let’s break down the reasons you should have an energy-independent home and what you would need to achieve this. Passive Houses: Homes designed to be extremely energy-efficient, often achieving up to 90% reductions in heating and cooling energy use.

Key Elements of an Energy-Independent Home:

• Passive House Design: The highest quality standard for building energy efficient homes. Designed to reduce heating and cooling energy use by up to 90%.

• Solar-Powered Homes: Solar panels that can store energy when the sun isn’t shining can provide more independent energy so if the grid bills go up, you have the choice to simply disconnect. In some siuations, if you are producing a lot of energy, you can sell the spare energy back to the grid making money from your solar powered system!

• Air/Ground Source Heat Pumps: These systems provide heating and hot water efficiently, even in colder weather.

• MVHR Systems: Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery systems provide fresh air and improve indoor air quality while reducing energy use.

• Triple-Glazed Windows & Doors: Enhanced insulation with three layers of glass for energy-efficient homes.

• Wood Fibre Blown Insulation: A natural, sustainable form of insulation that improves energy efficiency by slowly heating up a space and remaining warmer for longer than traditional insulation reducing your energy bills.

Self Build Future Proofed Solutions for 2025 & Beyond

Designing your new home is highly exciting! So much so, that we may tend to think first about the colour of the kitchen before thinking about the home as a whole. A good architect will see your home as an extension of your family and will plan a home that works with and for you than simply just looking stylish. A big part in our job as a prefabricated builder is to work with our architects and structual engineer team to work on stunning homes that also have a practical advantage. Below are some of the key topics we discuss during any bespoke build to ensure the home is aligned with the people living inside.

• Biophilic Design: In short it’s about reconnecting with nature for mental well-being. As we spend 90% of our time indoors and as humans are the only species living inside of boxes, away from nature, for a large proportion of our life time, following Biophilic designs heps to bring the great outdoors in. So what does this look like? Well it could be a mixture of real wood finishes inside, moss walls to natural light and open plan spaces to get a sense of being out in the open. When you feel like the outdoors is inside your home, studies have shown that fitness and overall health and wellness is improved.

• Natural Light: If you’re not a ‘fan’ of bringing nature into your home, then we always recommend seeking ample natural light, again for the optimal wellbeing of your family. Panoramic windows and well lit walkways reduce the strain on eyes when using false light and encourages more Vit D absorption when simply walking through the home.

• Climate-Resilient Architecture: Depending on where you live, we may discuss flood risk and other climate disasters that could come your way in the next 20-40 years. Future proofing your home today will reduce fears of damage to your home as well as supporting the value of the home as you’d prevented future damage.

• Automation or Protection from EMF: We tend to meet with tech mad individuals who want EVERYTHING green tech and a home that simply talks to them to let them know how well the home is performing day by day. We equally are popular with the opposite client who wants rooms with zero EMF waves such as bedrooms to allow a peaceful nights sleep or quiet study places. Whatever your opinion, discussing your lifestyle and expectations of your home during the design phase will allow us to tailor our homes to suit your preferences.

Is a Future-Proofed Home Expensive?

If you’re concerned about costs, you might be surprised to learn that prefabricated modular homes designed for energy efficiency are not significantly more expensive than traditional construction. THC Homes offers a Passive House-designed prefabricated home with solar and green technologies for £199,000 (excluding land, siting, and delivery).

Here’s a link to our Modular Homes.

For a typical self-build bricks-and-mortar home, costs range from £150,000 to £350,000, depending on size and materials. Modular home construction often provides greater cost predictability, fewer delays, and enhanced energy performance. This makes prefabricated homes a competitive option for anyone considering energy-efficient construction.

So there you have it. Future-proof homes do exist, and you can plan ahead for your family's future comfort. If you’re interested in learning more about modular homes or energy-efficient home building, contact us at info@thchomes.co.uk with the subject line "Future-Proofed Thoughts."