Michael Cottrell, Product and Partnerships Director at Octopus Energy

The HIP: The Housing Industry Podcast

There is a ‘magic pink box’ at Octopus Energy hard at work to cut homeowners' energy bills down to zero. In this episode, we sit down with Michael Cottrell, Product and Partnerships Director at Octopus Energy and find out what this ‘magic pink box’ is all about! We take a deep dive into Zero Bills homes and Octopus' partnership with housing developers across the UK.
Octopus has achieved tremendous growth since opening its doors in 2015, now serving 5 million customers across 9 countries. Michael gives us insights into his role and the change that he’s seen at Octopus over the last few years. We get a behind-the-scenes look at the partnership with Ilke Homes to discover how it happened and what the future looks like.
We discuss the tech behind Zero Bills homes and how Octopus is able to make it happen. Michael also shares insights into the early indicators of the product’s success.
We learn about the obvious and not-no-obvious benefits that Zero Bills homes offer and find out how housebuilders can get involved.
You’ll also learn:

• At what point is a home classified as ‘Zero Bills’?
• Why National Grid is paying to turn off wind turbines and waste energy
• Are mortgage lenders taking zero bills into account when assessing affordability?
• Is there any interest in Zero Bills homes from the luxury market?
• Is there a possibility for the product to be used in flats, etc. or just housing?
• What prevents a new build from being compatible with Zero Bills?

Join in our conversation on this game-changing approach to usage and housebuilding.