The Future of Net Zero Neighbourhoods: E.ON Showcase The Power of Community Energy and Combined Retrofit in Becontree
As part of a pioneering new partnership, E.ON is set to create a national example for net zero living, showcasing a first-of-its-kind combination of retrofit and community energy solutions in London’s iconic Becontree estate.
- 50 homes to be upgraded by E.ON’s Green Funding Solutions team, using a ‘resident-choice’ model, giving households power over green decision-making.
- New partnership aims to demonstrate how a combination approach to sustainability can deliver on affordable, sustainable energy at scale.
- Innovative “Next Gen Home” package from E.ON Next delivers the benefits solar, battery storage, heat pumps and EV charging—without upfront cost.
E.ON is delighted to partner with Thames Freeport in the delivery of sustainable growth and a low-carbon future for the region. Bringing three significant sustainability players, in a project backed by Thames Freeport, the partnership seeks to go beyond simply upgrading homes, and deliver sustainable transformation at an industry-first level.
Residents in the Becontree estate, part of the Thames Freeport area will quickly see warmer, healthier, more energy-efficient homes with lower bills, thanks to E.ON’s innovative Next Gen Home package, sustainable energy model which combines solar power, battery storage, heat pumps and EV charging in a market-first offering. Crucially, residents will also be able to choose which measures are applied to their homes, whilst being part of a community energy scheme that cuts carbon and builds local energy resilience.
Together with three other partners, E.ON will lead the delivery of sustainable construction across the project. Bringing together EnergieSprong UK (ESUK), a leader in industrialised home retrofits, and Rainmaking, a specialist in managing large-scale programmes, the partnership aims to show what can be achieved through collaboration and innovation.
The Becontree project, the UK’s oldest social housing development located in Thames Freeport, in the Barking and Dagenham area. It is the UK’s first to integrate retrofit, manufactured housing solutions and community energy into a single, resident-led model. The model is special because it allows where to choose the best combination of green energy solutions to fit their needs—demonstrating how whole neighbourhoods can be upgraded affordably, efficiently and at scale.
“This partnership comes at the right time. There’s growing urgency around affordable decarbonisation—but also a real opportunity to show how public and private sectors can work together to make change happen. For us, it’s about turning ambition into action—starting with local projects that deliver lasting impact,” said Vijay Tank, Chief Operating Officer, E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions
The ‘Becontree demonstrator’, part of the wider Sustainable Construction Programme, is retrofitting 50 mixed-tenure homes. Combining fabric upgrades, off-site manufactured retrofit solutions, and renewable energy systems—supported by a blend of grants, private investment, and local authority funding—this pilot will provide insights to inform the Demonstrator Accelerator programme, which aims to retrofit more than 5,000 homes across the region in the coming years.
Tank continues: “We’re proud to be part of the wider Sustainable Construction Programme, beginning in Barking and Dagenham. This is a vital step forward—bringing together the public and private entities and local stakeholders to put energy efficiency at the heart of development. As we have shown with our other partnerships, these can be the key to unlocking more affordable, secure, sustainable energy, as well as green skills and jobs to local economies.”
Published: 02 October 2025
