A practical guide to cutting energy bills towards zero using heat pumps, solar panels, batteries, smart tariffs and intelligent home improvements.
Most of us want lower bills. Many of us also sense that change is coming — and that the way we heat and power our homes will look different over the next decade.
At the same time, the options can feel overwhelming.
Heat pumps. Solar panels. Batteries. Smart tariffs. Grants. Planning permission. Building control. Installers. It can feel like a maze.
The stakes are high — £10–30,000 decisions that are costly to undo. It can be difficult to know who to trust, what to prioritise, and how to sequence improvements correctly.
This site exists to make that journey calmer, clearer and more practical. The information here is independent and based on careful research, real-world experience and clear sources.
I’m approaching this carefully, methodically and transparently — setting out what the evidence shows, what I’ve tested in practice, and where assumptions need checking.
The goal isn’t to sell you something.
It’s clarity — so you can make the right decisions for your own home.
Lower costs, better comfort and more control over your energy use.
Start Here
If you’re new to low-energy homes, this is the best place to begin.
“Zero bills energy” is a compelling phrase — but it can mean different things depending on the type of house, your starting point and your budget.
In this section, I explain:
• What “zero bills energy” actually means — and why it requires a whole-house approach
• How to understand your current energy use, heat loss, EPC rating and practical constraints
• The core building blocks of a low-energy home
• The order in which upgrades usually make sense
• The common mistakes that cause unnecessary expense
You won’t get there in one leap or by rushing into technology. Not every house reaches “zero” in the same way — and that’s important to understand early.
It requires a series of changes — sequenced correctly and tailored to a house like yours.
The aim isn’t to push solutions.
It’s to help you understand the whole system first.
Learn
Once you understand the foundations, the next step is learning how the individual technologies work — and how they fit together.
But technology is only part of the picture.
Before installing anything, there are often practical home improvements that reduce energy demand first — insulation upgrades, draught-proofing, smart controls and small changes that improve comfort and lower bills immediately.
Heat pumps, solar panels, batteries and smart tariffs are powerful tools. But on their own, they don’t create a low-cost, well-performing home. The real gains come from understanding how the building and the technologies interact as a system.
In this section, you’ll find clear, plain-English explanations of:
• The home improvements that often make sense before installing new technology
• How heat pumps actually work — and when they make sense
• What solar panels can and cannot do in the UK climate
• When home batteries are financially worthwhile
• How smart tariffs change the economics of everything
• What happens after installation — and how to optimise performance
The aim isn’t to promote particular products.
It’s to help you understand how each part fits into the whole system.
Good decisions usually depend on sequencing — not simply choosing the “best” technology.
At some point, most homeowners will need to speak to an installer.
The aim here is that you feel informed, confident and ready when that time comes.
Little Chelsea – A Real Case Study
A real case study of how to take a complex, leaky period property from EPC E towards near zero bills — with real constraints, real costs and real decisions.
Low-energy homes can look simple online. In reality, they require patient research, careful sequencing and thoughtful judgement — especially when large sums of money are involved and mistakes are expensive to undo.
I know this because I’m doing the same in my own home, Little Chelsea.
I’m living through planning permission, heritage statements, building control, installer conversations, real cost decisions, practical constraints and genuine uncertainty — in real time.
Little Chelsea is not an easy example.
It’s an old, cold Georgian three-bedroom house in a conservation area in Surrey, with complex roof geometry and the typical challenges of a period property that needs careful restoration as well as modernisation.
Which makes it far more useful than a “best-case” example.
My goal is to get as close as possible to zero bills energy — and to share the whole journey openly as it unfolds.
In this section, I write about:
• The starting point — energy use, heat loss and limitations
• The decisions made, and why
• Real costs, trade-offs and sequencing
• Conversations with installers and specialists
• How the system performs once installed
• What worked, what didn’t, and what I’d do differently
The goal isn’t to present a flawless transformation.
It’s to show the real process — including uncertainty, adjustments and lessons learned.
If you want to see how the whole-house approach works in practice, this is where it happens.
Next Steps
If you’re new to this, the best next step is simple: take it slowly and get clear.
First, spend time reading and understanding the guides on this site so you feel confident about what a “zero bills” home actually means — and how a whole-house system works in practice.
Next, build a picture of your own home. Give yourself time. Use what you’ve learned here to work out what’s realistic for your property, your budget, and your constraints. Gather a few key numbers, sanity-check costs, and keep your decisions evidence-led.
When you’re ready to move from learning to doing, this section will help you with:
- What information to gather before you speak to installers (so quotes are meaningful)
- How to compare proposals — and the questions that actually matter
- How to think about budgeting and finance
- What to expect during installation and commissioning
And when the time is right, I can also help by introducing you to a small shortlist of installers in your area.
No rush — the aim is that you feel informed and ready when you do speak to someone.