A NEW release of homes in Ross on Wye offering improved energy efficiency and lower household bills is now available at St Mary’s Garden Village.

Edenstone Group, the homebuilder shaping the new community, has released the new wave of family homes under its Bluebell Homes brand, all achieving the top rating for energy efficiency.

To meet this standard, the new homes include additional roof and floor insultation, plus solar panels.

Edenstone Group sales director Adele McCoy explained: “Homes on earlier phases of St Mary’s Garden Village achieve a minimum Energy Performance Certificates of B, a standard few older properties meet. New building regulations mean that this latest phase of homes are even more efficient, achieving the highest EPC rating of A. Research from the Home Builders Federation suggests someone moving from an older house to one of these A rated new homes could save up to £2,579 on their annual energy bills.”

Across St Mary’s Garden Village, there’s a choice of two, three and four-bedroom homes available.

Prices for a three-bedroom detached A-rated home start from £339,995 for a Broughton and £350,000 for a Croft.

“Because our homes are so efficient they’re eligible to be purchased with ‘green mortgages’,” Adele added.

“Some lenders offer improved interest rates or cash back on green mortgages. In some cases, they’ll recognise that you’ll being paying less on energy bills and so will have more funds available towards your mortgage repayments and offer enhanced affordability.”

Edenstone has ambitions to bring zero net energy to all its developments by 2025. It’s already built and sold one “zero energy bills” home at St Mary’s Garden Village, the first of its kind in Herefordshire, under a partnership with Octopus Energy.

Nestled on the outskirts of Ross on Wye, St Mary’s Garden Village will eventually feature 348 homes and a host of community features.

“The vision for St Mary’s Garden Village was a sustainable new neighbourhood where people love living and that’s certainly the case from feedback we’ve received from residents,” Adele added.

“The allotments were quickly snapped up; children are having fun at the play area and people are enjoying the formal garden. A variety of groups are using the new community hub and gym, which is designed to generate more renewable energy than it consumes. Walking and fitness trails with equipment are also available, helping residents to lead an active lifestyle.”

The show homes and sales centre at St Mary’s Garden Village are open daily. For more information see https://www.bluebellhomes.co.uk/stmarys.