Supporting the nation's housebuilders

Ash Knowles has been appointed as National Residential Market Manager for Hager. He is now responsible for leading the company’s collaborative work with over 30 national and regional housebuilders to develop and supply bespoke electrical distribution solutions for the residential market.

The residential housing market in the UK is about to embark on a sustained period of uncertainty and change driven by government legislation and sustainability objectives connected to carbon reduction and consumer demands.

Housebuilders are under pressure to deliver an increased number of new homes, while also focusing on improving sustainability credentials and paying attention to emerging technologies.

Such challenges are linked to how homes of the future perform if the nation is to successfully tackle the environment-related issues surrounding climate change. The Government’s Future Homes Standard is already impacting thinking, while the government also wants to see new homes produce 31% lower carbon emissions, as part of recent changes to Part L Building Regulations.

Part of the solution to ensure the construction of new homes can make a positive contribution to solving the climate crisis is the role renewable technologies will play in the future. Solar PV is seen as a cost-effective way of achieving the interim Part L carbon reduction target. As a result, the current level of solar installation is expected to increase fivefold in the coming years.

Together with the more frequent specification and introduction of renewable technologies such as solar, other market drivers are also set to impact the housebuilding sector. The growth of electric vehicle (EV) ownership is accelerating fast. According to figures from SMMT, 2021 saw the largest increase in electric vehicle registrations, with a 66% increase compared to 2019.

This brings with it the issue of charging point infrastructure policies. Following a 2019 consultation, it now wants to see all new homes built from 2024 include an at home electric charging facility.

The wish to deliver sustainable housing solutions, means housebuilders must begin to effectively integrate technologies that can encompass electric vehicle charging, Solar PV roofing solutions and even battery storage.

Help is at hand with Hager

As an electrical distribution manufacturer, we are working to develop the home power-related solutions that connect and energise emerging sustainable home-based technologies.

A case in point is the consumer unit. Traditionally viewed as a commodity product, the demand to deliver a more intelligent, bespoke, safe, and flexible unit will grow. Size and aesthetics considerations are now being joined by challenges around technical capacity and overall unit functionality.

We are in discussions with our housebuilding partners to better understand the changing requirements for the ‘home of the future’s’ consumer unit. Our collaborative approach is key to ensuring we can develop the bespoke solutions housebuilders need.

Working together

Our market-leading Tailored Solutions Team can work alongside housebuilders with the joint objective of generating an effective and added value product solution.

We can offer greater choice – from 6-way, up to our generously sized 2 row boards - and supply preconfigured bespoke consumer units that house a myriad of intelligence-led products, from our Telford factory.

The secret to success is early project collaboration so that we identify the need and jointly create the right electrical distribution solution. Recent work with Taylor Wimpey’s design team has resulted in just such a result. Here, following the introduction of the 18th Edition, all new Taylor Wimpey homes, where construction was started after January 2019, benefitted from an ‘as standard’ installation of a Hager surge protection device within the property’s consumer unit as an extra safety precaution.

Hager also remains resolute in our commitment to safety. Our preconfigured consumer units offer reassurance that all components are fully tested and validated, while we fully support moves through the 18th Edition recommendations to further increase safety product standards with surge protection and AFDD device inclusion.

While we await the imminent publication of Amendment 2 for the 18th Edition, we continue to work closely with our housebuilding partners and their contractors to ensure any recommended changes are acted upon. Training support thanks to the Hager Academy, as well as project technical assistance, online learning and CPD modules, is all further evidence of our strong commitment to customer and industry support.

We are the supplier of choice for a large number of the UK's biggest house-builders. To find out more, click here.