This is how Willerby plans to make its static caravans more energy efficient and cheaper to run

Willerby, which has a workforce of around 1,100 people at its two sites in Hull, said it is the first UK holiday homes manufacturer to introduce a sustainability standard and offer a green build specification across the board.

Willerby’s new GreEN Standard will apply to all static caravans manufactured from October 2022 and will be adopted in the design and production of all future new models.

The company said the change is the most significant innovation in the holiday homes industry since the introduction of double glazing and central heating.

It’s a key part of Willerby’s drive to put sustainability into all its design processes and manufacturing operations.

The GreEN Standard will reduce the energy consumption of Willerby’s holiday homes by up to 28 per cent, compared to models built to the previous specification.

Willerby has carried out research into the carbon impact of its holiday homes in order to understand how this can be reduced.

This included calculating the embodied carbon – emissions associated with materials and processes during manufacture – as well as the carbon footprint of holiday homes once in use.

Peter Munk, chief executive of Willerby, said: “Our new GreEN standard is a hugely significant development in our ongoing commitment to tackling the climate crisis.

“Our industry has an important role to play in the pathway to a sustainable future and I’m proud we’re leading the way in our sector with the introduction of this new specification.

"It puts sustainability at the very heart of all our product development and manufacturing operations.

“Further improving the energy efficiency of our holiday homes has the additional benefit of enabling owners to make significant savings on their energy bills, which is particularly important at this time when living costs are rising sharply.

“Holiday park operators will also benefit from reduced running costs on their Willerby GreEN Standard rental units, as well as this initiative contributing to the increased sustainability of their operations.

“In short, this is great for the environment and good for the pocket.”

Willerby has worked with several of its customers in the UK holiday parks sector during the research and development project.

Willerby’s technical director, Simon Tempest, said: “As a major employer, and a leading player in the holiday homes industry, we recognise our responsibility to reduce the carbon impact of our operations.

“We’ve done a great deal in this area already, with the introduction of a raft of green initiatives.

"These include installing biomass boilers at our Hull site which convert waste wood into energy to heat our manufacturing facilities, saving 1,000 tonnes of C02 annually and avoiding hundreds of truck trips to remove this waste.

“The introduction of the GreEN Standard is a major leap forward in our sustainability journey and a game-changing innovation for the holiday homes industry.”