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Can we truly create homes with no energy bills while tackling climate change at scale?

In this Thrive in Construction Podcast episode, Darren Evans speaks with Emma Fletcher, Low Carbon Homes Director at Octopus Energy, about her journey from rural surveyor to national leader in sustainable housing.

Emma shares the bold innovations behind Octopus Energy’s Zero Bills homes, reflects on her pioneering work building one of the UK’s first rural district heat networks, and explains why community-driven projects and visionary developers are key to the energy transition.

Key Highlights:

• From Rural Surveyor to Climate Leader: How Emma’s career journey led to transforming communities through land, development, and low carbon innovation.
• Taking a Village Off Oil: The story behind creating the UK’s first rural district heat network, proving community-scale solutions are possible.
• Zero Bills Homes Explained: How solar, storage, and heat pumps combine to eliminate household energy bills for up to 10 years.
• Future Homes Standard & Solar at Scale: Why developers must think beyond compliance and embrace full-roof solar and future-proof designs.
• Community Action & Funding: Why climate solutions need local champions, strong teams, and innovative funding pathways.
• Second Careers in Construction: Why Emma believes the industry should welcome talent from diverse backgrounds and promote new pathways into sustainable construction.

This conversation is a must-watch for developers, architects, policymakers, housing associations, and sustainability leaders looking to shape the future of homes and communities.

Links:

• Emma's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmafletchercambridge/
• Octopus LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/octopusenergy/
• Octopus Website: https://octopus.energy/careers/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=learn_more_button

#ZeroBillsHomes #NetZeroHousing #ThriveInConstruction #OctopusEnergy #CommunityEnergy #FutureHomesStandard #ConstructionPodcast #BuiltEnvironment

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