The Wirral homes that are making 'a fuel bill profit'

Colin Usher has built a four-bedroom house and a pair of two-bedroom apartments in West Kirby that are said to have zero gas and electricity bills.

All three received EPC (energy performance certificate) scores of 105%, which is five per cent higher than the top A-rating making the properties exceed Passivhaus standards.

They feature an array of ultra-low energy technology with the house costing £350,000 and the apartments £200,000 each - just 2% more than standard equivalent homes.

Orientation plays a key role heating the buildings with main windows facing south to maximise sunlight.

Graphic of technology used in one of the eco properties in Westd ro Kirby that were built by Colin Usher and are said to have zero gas and electricity bills (Image: Thorne PR) This also gives winter heat gains while carefully positioned overhangs prevent rooms getting too hot in summer.

Heat is retained by the airtight construction, triple glazing and 200mm of floor, 200mm of wall and 400mm of roof insulation.

Designed to have thermal mass, the properties are described as acting 'like giant storage radiators to regulate temperature variations'.

The solar panels for the apartments face south which, according to Mr Usher, is the ideal direction for maximum solar power. He had experimented with the house, installing east/west facing panels which produce a more even energy generation profile, further reducing overall energy costs.

5kW batteries allow electricity to be stored for future use with around 75% sold back to the National Grid on sunnier days.

Mr Usher has created low energy homes for 30 years at Liverpool-based John McCall Architects which he co-founded and independently since retiring from the practice in 2018.

He designed and built his own home - just 100 yards from the new properties - 12 years ago which cost £15-a-year to run initially.

Colin Usher designed and built his own home just 100 yards from the new properties (Image: Thorne PR) By adding a storage battery, he now makes a profit of almost £500-a-year by selling excess electricity generated back to the Grid at peak times when it is needed most.

Now practising as MicoArchiTecture on a part-time basis, Mr Usher said: "All the low energy homes I've designed are simple and well thought-through with the latest three exporting electricity back to the grid and make a profit too.

"The properties are modern looking in a polite and considered way, fitting seamlessly into their surrounding suburban environment; there is nothing radical about their appearance."

The tightly-sealed properties prevent draughts and outside noise, making the homes very peaceful to live in.

For perfect air quality a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system gently pumps moisture out of kitchens and bathrooms and passes it through a heat exchanger to warm cooler incoming air.

If additional heating is needed to slightly warm the incoming air for the three months of winter, a heat pump is activated.

Any excess energy heats the water in the hot water cylinder and during hot weather, the process can be reversed to provide some cooling.

Mr Usher added: "You get even temperatures, a constant supply of fresh filtered air and high levels of natural sunlight all of which have huge respiratory, allergen and wellbeing benefits".

Mr Usher’s homes are expected to be analysed by PhD students at Liverpool John Moores University’s School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment.

Case study research may be carried out in the inhabited properties using sensors to monitor building performance and how residents interact with the technology.

Mr Usher continued: "Although the design of the homes is informed by the need to optimise net zero performance, they do not sacrifice anything in order to achieve this.

"The technology is now so advanced that you need next to no human intervention or behavioural changes to have zero fuel bills - you can heat, light, cook and live like normal."

Mr Usher is also using his platform as Low Energy Construction tutor at the University of Salford to pass on his expertise to building construction and design students three generations younger who he says are "going to be the people who beat climate change".

Robin Rushton lives in one of Mr Usher’s properties called Orchard Cottage. He said: "When we moved into Orchard Cottage, I did have some concerns that the low energy features would make life more complicated but these concerns have proved unfounded, the technology has been totally unobtrusive.

"Our energy costs appear to have significantly reduced without any discernible changes to our lifestyle.

"Despite unpredictable weather, we have been comfortably warm and draught free without adjusting the settings.

"I can only imagine what we might achieve if we were to pay more attention to the potential of the technology."