The recent announcement of a 6.4% increase of the energy price cap for the period covering April to June 2025 demonstrates the difficulties faced without having what we refer to as ‘energy independence’. In a crazy world where the cost of renewable energy is related to wholesale gas prices, even purchasing electricity from renewable sources will not escape the continuing hike in prices. That is why when we created the MEFAB concept it was a high priority that energy independence must be integrated into every design. Not just to provide off grid capability, but to ensure that operational cost would be in control of the owner, and that operational cost could be low to zero.
According to most UK energy providers, the average energy cost for a one-bedroom detached house (considered a “low” usage profile) is around £105 per month or approximately £1,260 per year. This is based on typical gas and electricity consumption for a small household. These costs can vary due to variable factors like insulation, heating habits, location, and of course the energy tariff from your chosen supplier. For a 3-bedroom detached house in the UK the average annual energy cost is around £1,850 which translates to roughly £154 per month for a combined gas and electricity bill. These average costs are based on a modern home and would not take into account the less efficient older homes, lodges and static caravans. For these buildings expect double or triple those figures.
So, what if you were in control of your own energy cost? In the all-electric future home, even if you are running electric space heating, electric water heating and charging your electric vehicle, the energy independent MEFAB design would be generating and storing energy, meaning you would not need to be purchasing much, if any, electricity. The energy generated by your MEFAB building is yours to use as you want in the most efficient way. And supplied (generated) free of charge!
Flexible Servicing
Now imagine several MEFAB buildings on a leisure park, as holiday homes, as temporary site accommodation or as student living, all generating and storing energy with the added bonus of using ‘flexible servicing’, balancing energy demand between buildings using ‘active management’ smart systems. This will not only reduce your energy costs as a landlord/contractor/leisure park operator, but using a ‘flexible connections’ approach could even offer a revenue stream from your District Network Operator through helping to balance grid demand. As energy is now one of the biggest operational costs, including energy independence as part of your project design will lead to a very good return on investment figure.
This cost-effective approach using energy independence is at the heart of the MEFAB concept.
