Northern Ireland's Senior Government Housing Officials Tour Green Future House

A group of 30 of Northern Ireland's top housing policy makers including Building Control bosses as well as senior officials from Northern Ireland Environment Agency inspected the Green Future House during an information day.  Green Future Homes, the firm behind this ever first Government accredited zero carbon home held the information day due to huge interest from senior officials.

The inspection comes as new regulations aimed at making houses cheaper to run which will come into force tomorrow. The tougher energy efficiency standards for newly built homes are designed to reduce the amount of carbon emissions by about a quarter, a move welcomed by Green Future Homes spokesman and director John McClatchey.

He said: “It is great to see Building Control and Northern Ireland Environment Agency taking the concept of zero carbon housing very seriously, with rising fuels costs and over reliance on fossil fuels,  new builds need to become more energy efficient and the ‘Green Future House’ is a live working test-bed which effectively tackles these major challenges.”

Green Future Homes created this zero carbon prototype at a highly market competitive price, similar in cost to traditional homes. Evidently the ‘Green Future House’ which boosts negative C02 emissions is the first home in the province to be awarded 5 years no rates under the Governments now defunct Zero Carbon and Low Carbon Homes Scheme.

The 5 bedroom traditionally designed country home a showhouse throughout 2012 was officially opened back in March by Minister for the Environment Alex Attwood MLA and his Irish counterpart Phil Hogan T.D.

Most importantly for the homeowner is the fact this zero carbon blue-print build of superior performing homes is capable of near-zero energy bills. Annual energy bills for this 5 bedroom 3100sq ft story and a half house equates to only £300 a year.