- Three high-performance homes for sale in Wellington and Christchurch showcase sharply reduced household energy costs.
- One Waikanae home generated power for two years, while a Christchurch family cut bills 80%.
- Another Christchurch property is modelled to use 85% less heating than minimum-code homes.
A home with no power bill sounds impossible, but for some homeowners, it is surprisingly close to reality. One Wellington homeowner paid nothing for power for two years, and a Christchurch family has cut their monthly power bill from $750 to $150.
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There is, of course, no such thing as a completely free lunch when it comes to household power. But three homes listed for sale in Wellington and Christchurch show how dramatically the cost can be reduced when energy efficiency is built into the house from the outset.
8 Ngarara Road, in Waikanae, had no power bills at all for the first two years of its life, builder and original owner Chris Beggs told OneRoof.
His frustration with rising energy costs sparked an interest in passive solar design. It led to the creation of the four-bedroom statement home with award-winning local architects AD Architecture.
Beggs, who built the home for himself and his wife, Leonie, sold it over a decade ago to the current owners and agreed to talk to OneRoof about its standout features.
Chris Beggs built the home at 8 Ngarara Road, in Waikanae, for himself and his wife, Leonie, incorporating passive design and solar power. Photo / Supplied
8 Ngarara Road’s kitchen and lounge are designed to capture the light. Photo / Supplied
The 349sqm house, which sits on a 2301sqm lifestyle block, faces north and has roughly twice the amount of insulation of similar-aged homes. It uses a Digital Self Heating Home system developed by Canadian inventor Ron Fika, which handles the heating and hot water requirements and keeps electricity demand low. The solar electricity from panels on the roof is used for lighting, refrigeration and cooking, rather than conventional space heating.
Beggs told OneRoof the couple’s monthly power bill was about $300 before they built 8 Ngarara Road. But in their first two years in their new home, they actually earned money from the power company.
He said he was sick of the government “tooting and whistling about solar and incentives” but actually doing nothing, while in Australia 40% of homes have solar. “We’re just so backward [in New Zealand].”
8 Ngarara Road is listed with Sharalyn Fraser and Jemma McLean, of the Sharalyn Fraser Agency, and is for sale by deadline, closing September 9. The agents write in their marketing that the house has been profiled in multiple publications, including Your Home and Garden, and is “impressive from the very first glance”.
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“The north-facing side is extensively glazed, and the suspended heated concrete slab on the upper level captures sun and creates a strong connection to the outdoors. Soaring stud heights enhance the sense of space and light, while living areas and bedrooms open directly to the expansive lawn and beautifully established gardens, delivering privacy and a seamless indoor-outdoor flow.”
In Christchurch, Sonya and Phil have seen their winter power bill drop from around $750 a month to about $150. The couple, who asked not to have their surname published, paid through the nose when they were living in Nelson, telling OneRoof their worst monthly charge hit $1400.
The move to 18 College Avenue, in Strowan, in 2021 changed their lives. The four-bedroom property was built post-earthquake and is a certified Passive House Plus.
Sonya told OneRoof that the family is free to take multiple showers a day, use appliances whenever they want, and run the spa pool “on full”. Sonya herself works from home, and she calls herself “a little bit of a princess” because she likes the house at 24 degrees.
The couple knew very little about passive houses when they bought the property and weren’t specifically looking for one. “Phil and I bought this house because we loved the feel and the location – it’s just two minutes from St Andrew’s College. The main thing was it was a really high-quality build.”
The Passive House Plus at 18 College Avenue, in Strowan, Christchurch, has triple glazing, a highly insulated building envelope and solar power. Photo / Supplied
The spa pool at 18 College Avenue is regularly used, but the family’s power bills remain low. Photo / Supplied
The Passive House Plus certification was an added benefit. “I’ll tell you what, far out. This house, oh my God, it’s so warm, it’s dry, it’s quiet, it’s comfortable. We never had any condensation or dampness,” Sonya said.
“People think that living in a passive home is going to be technical, but it’s not. We don’t wait till the sun’s out to put our devices on. It just runs itself, and we live normally. It’s the easiest house we’ve ever lived in.”
The couple are selling because their children have now flown the nest and they want to downsize and have some new adventures. “We’ve definitely been spoiled, so it’s going to be very hard choosing another home to live in because this one is amazing.”
The house is listed for sale with New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Gerard Bligh, with a deadline of September 14.
Across town at 135B Somerfield Street, in Somerfield, another energy-efficient home is up for grabs. It is modelled to have about 85% lower annual heating demand than the same home built to minimum Building Code requirements.
A new, two-bedroom Superhome at 135B Somerfield Street, Christchurch, is modelled to have about 85% lower annual heating demand than a home built to minimum Building Code requirements. Photo / Supplied
The wood-lined interior of the house. The property sits within the Ngā Whare Pārara development. Photo / Supplied
The two-bedroom property is the final home for sale in Ngā Whare Pārara, a four-home development designed by architect Bob Burnett. It is certified “Superhome Best”, a New Zealand high-performance building standard that covers energy efficiency, insulation, airtightness, ventilation, water use and materials.
Bayleys agent Ammy Singh, who is taking the property to auction on September 17, said in his listing that “homes of this calibre rarely come to market completed, tested and ready to occupy”.
“Winter sunlight reaches deep into the living spaces, warming a sophisticated palette of natural timber and soft neutral tones. Higher ceilings create a sense of volume, while the kitchen, dining and living areas open naturally to the kwila-decked courtyard,” Singh wrote.
“That sunlight isn’t accidental. The home has been carefully oriented to welcome lower winter sun deep into the living areas, bringing natural light and free solar warmth, while generous eaves provide considered shading through the warmer months.”
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