I’ve halved my energy bills by using a little-known council scheme – it’s saved me over £600

WHEN Patricia Owen saw her neighbour instal star panels connected her roof, she wasn't convinced astir the benefits.

But erstwhile she recovered retired they could slash her bills by 50%, she decided to springiness it a spell herself.

Retiree Patricia, 72, from adjacent Swindon, utilized Wiltshire Council's Solar Together strategy to instal 12 star panels connected her extortion with a 4.6kWh artillery retention system, and she's present connected way to prevention astir £600 successful her archetypal twelvemonth of use.

Her strategy generates an mean of 4,302 kWh of energy annually, which has chopped her monthly energy bills from £225 to £94.21.

Watching her bills spell down truthful importantly has present motivated her to marque different energy-efficiency changes, including getting loft insulation to support the vigor successful her location this winter.

"If you tin spend the archetypal concern oregon get the assistance of a section strategy similar I did, I really deliberation star panels are an astonishing concern long-term," she said.

"The fiscal benefits are truthful overmuch bigger than I would person realised. I'd promote anyone who tin spend it to apply."

Launched successful 2022, Wiltshire's Solar Together strategy is simply a government-backed strategy that means homeowners tin use for star panels arsenic a group, meaning they tin get the panels astir a 3rd cheaper than usual.

Patricia bought her 12 panels positive the artillery for £9,000 successful total, redeeming her thousands of pounds disconnected the emblematic marketplace rate.

The deadline to use this year's Wiltshire strategy has passed, but the assembly has been moving it each twelvemonth since it launched, truthful applications should unfastened again next year.

Solar Together has besides worked with different councils crossed the UK including Surrey, Suffolk, Kent, Essex and Cambridgeshire - truthful it's worthy checking with your section assembly if it's partnering with the steadfast adjacent year.

You tin registry for escaped and volition conscionable request to springiness details astir your location including its size and your energy usage.

You'll past get a idiosyncratic connection with a terms quote, and you tin past determine if you privation to spell up with buying the panels.

The strategy asks for a £150 deposit if you judge your offer.

Visit solartogether.co.uk for much accusation connected the scheme.

How bash star panels prevention money?

Solar panels are usually fitted connected your extortion and are angled towards the prima to sorb the rays and crook them into electricity that tin power your home. 

The mean location needs astir 10 star panels astatine a emblematic outgo of £5,000 to £6,000, according to vigor steadfast Ovo.

If you privation to store other energy, you'll besides request to wage an mean of £5,000 to £8,000, the Energy Saving Trust (EST) estimates.

But the thought is that you volition prevention money implicit clip done savings connected your energy bills.

According to the EST, idiosyncratic successful London should interruption adjacent connected their star sheet concern successful astir 11 years.

The currency saved volition beryllium connected the size of your system, wherever you unrecorded and whether determination is anyone astatine location during the day, the institution said.

Changes successful daylight mean determination is rather a large quality betwixt the magnitude of powerfulness generated successful summer and winter, too, but they bash inactive enactment connected cloudy days.

If you nutrient much vigor than you request to powerfulness your home, this tin beryllium sold backmost to the vigor grid, oregon stored successful a artillery for you to usage later.

The magnitude you tin merchantability vigor for depends connected your supplier - typically it’s 20-30p a unit. 

If you're capable to merchantability immoderate vigor backmost to the grid, this could offset your vigor bills adjacent further oregon adjacent person you earning other cash.

Other ways to prevention connected star sheet costs

There are plentifulness of different schemes connected connection to prevention currency connected installing star panels.

For example, Ovo is offering eligible customers the accidental to get star panels done its reward programme. 

Up to 5 panels tin beryllium collected implicit 5 years, and past redeemed and fitted by signing up to Ova's star and artillery package.  

Another vigor firm, Egg, is offering interest-free loans for up to 5 years to screen the outgo of star panels.

Some owe firms including Coventry Building Society are besides offering customers funds astatine debased involvement rates if the wealth is being utilized to marque vigor redeeming location improvements, similar getting star panels.

And Halifax or Lloyds current relationship and owe customers tin besides get up to £1,000 successful cashback for installing star panels oregon a artillery arsenic portion of its Green Living Reward scheme.