Why are energy bills so expensive in a new eco home that uses renewable technologies?

My daughter has bought a sustainable home on a new building project containing 22 properties. She owns one of the smallest houses, which cost £450,000 (prices go up to £900,000), and her electricity bills were £1,000 per month when she first moved in back in December 2016. They have now only marginally dropped to £700. After discussing this issue with her neighbours she discovered that they were facing the same problem.

All the houses have air source heat pumps (ASHP) and solar panels – and I wonder if something has been incorrectly installed. I’ve been in contact with their energy supplier, which has now changed some of their meters but insists that there is no problem with the readings. My daughter is at work all day and the house was not warm throughout the winter and spring months. Should she install an oil fired boiler or off mains gas for efficiency?

Something must be badly wrong here as the cost of running these homes seems way too high. Electricity bills should be around £100 per month for a modern house with an ASHP.

My advice would be for the residents to seek independent advice from an engineer. An electrician should also be able to fit a clamp-on sub-meter to figure out where all the energy they are collectively being charged for is actually used.

As this is a new build, your daughter’s property is still under guarantee – and could even still be within the defects period. She should be talking to the developers about this issue, as responsibility for adequate housing should be with them.